Superwomen of Eva 2: Amazing Amazon
by Mike313
Summary: Gendo Ikari believed that he'd planned for every possible contingency in his scenario. However, not even Gendo could anticipate the gods of the Greek pantheon naming Rei Ayanami their champion and charging her with saving the world from him.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from the fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Prologue: **Divine Intervention

The woman who hobbled into the immense council chambers looked tiny and frail under normal circumstances; she was utterly ancient, to the point that age had shrunken her to child-like proportions, and her face seemed like little more than a great mass of wrinkles. In the awesome presence of the beings who had summonsed her to this place, however, she looked particularly insignificant.

Of course, walking into the grand meeting room of the Twelve Olympians, any mortal would have looked insignificant, especially when the gods were present, as they now were. But none would look quite as tiny and unimportant as the wizened old woman who entered with the aid of a cane.

Which was ironic, because while she was tiny, she was anything but unimportant. She never would have been summonsed to Mount Olympus if she were.

"Speak," ordered Zeus, king of the gods. "Tell us what you have Seen."

"As you command," she rasped. "I have seen that the mortal world stands on a precipice, with the end drawing near. The greed and foolishness of one man shall return the false god Adam to power, and the mortal world shall be swept away in a crimson tide."

The silence in the chamber was deafening. The deities who had gathered there often had radically different ends and desires, but the end of the world would benefit none of them.

"Cannot something be done to stop it?" one of them asked.

"There is only one who can prevent the coming cataclysm," the crone answered. "A mortal woman not conceived by the seed of man."

The beings of power traded confused looks.

"How can there be a mortal woman not conceived by the seed of man?" asked Aphrodite.

"And who is this woman?" Ares demanded.

The ancient woman could only shrug helplessly. "My lords and ladies, I do not know that. I have not Seen it."

"How you seen anything besides what you've already told us?" asked Demeter.

"No, my lady," the old woman answered.

"Then you may go," Zeus said..

The ancient woman nodded and turned to go, but before she actually started to leave, she turned to Apollo. "My lord," she said softly, "may I ask that you finally lift the curse of immortality from me? It has been so very long…"

"We will see, Sibyl," Apollo replied, not sounding particularly merciful.

She sighed softly. "Yes, my lord," she said, then went hobbling out.

The Olympians waited until the prophetess had departed their grand council chambers before breaking out into a flurry of worried conversation, sounding for all the world like a group of school children whose teacher had stepped out for a moment.

At least until a deafening crack of thunder echoed through the room, instantly silencing all conversation.

"Enough," Zeus growled. "We _will_ have order. Now, is it safe to assume that we are all united, for once, in our desire not to see the mortal world end?"

The other deities all quickly gave assent. Much as they would be loathed to admit it, they needed the mortal realm. Even though very few mortals worshipped them any longer, they still drew strength from those who still did. Also, the complete elimination of all the things the gods served as patrons of—from poetry to war—would be a grievous blow to them, perhaps one powerful enough to end even their immortal lives.

"Good," Zeus said after no one dared to speak for several seconds. "Then it seems that our first task is to identify the woman of this prophecy."

"If I may, Lord Zeus," Athena spoke up, "I know who the seer spoke of."

All eyes immediately turned to the goddess of wisdom.

"Well, then? Tell us who she is!" demanded Ares, as hot under the collar as ever.

"We have to find her and help her stop this disaster," Poseidon agreed emphatically.

"Hold a moment," Athena said, looking quite unruffled by the intense stares that were being directed her way. She looked slowly and deliberately at each of the male deities present. "When was the last time one of you served as the patron of a female champion?"

The gods, usually shameless chauvinists, squirmed uncomfortably and didn't answer.

"What difference does that make?!" Ares snarled at last.

"Molding a woman into a heroine is quite a different thing from molding a man to be a hero. None of you know how to go about it," Athena answered simply. "Therefore, I propose that I be allowed to take charge of preparing the girl in the prophecy for her destiny."

"No!" Ares bellowed. "I won't leave the fate of the world in—"

"Enough, Ares," Zeus snapped. "Athena makes a fair point. I will allow her to take the lead on this, and we will all aid her as requested."

The other gods gave their assent, with varying degrees of reluctance. Athena nodded and stood from her throne, allowing only a small smile of satisfaction to appear on her face.

"Thank you," she said. "I shall take my leave and begin at once."

With that, the goddess' form shifted and changed, becoming that of a great, tawny owl. The owl flapped its wings and flew out of the enormous chamber, quickly leaving the realm of the gods.

* * *

In the battle against the Fifth Angel, Rei Ayanami had sustained new injuries and had been forced to take another leave of absence from school. However, the First Child was a fast healer, and had returned to Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School after spending less than a week in NERV Medical.

So far, the school day had been utterly normal and unremarkable in every way, and as it was ending now, Rei fully expected it to remain this way.

She had probably never been more wrong in her entire life.

"Ayanami-san," she heard someone call as she was just about to leave the schoolyard.

Rei turned and saw the person who sought her attention was Ms. Nagasawa, one of the school's teachers. She was a woman in her late forties who wore a pair of black framed glasses. Her dark hair, streaked with gray, was pulled back into a no-nonsense bun, and everything about her demeanor suggested sternness.

The First Child had no idea why the teacher had called to her; she was not in Nagasawa's class and had not ever exchanged so much as a single word with her. However, Rei soon judged that this question was ultimately irrelevant. She had been summonsed by an authority figure; that was all that mattered.

"Yes, Nagasawa-san?" Rei asked, approaching the woman.

"I want a word with you in private, Ayanami-san," Nagasawa said.

Rei quirked an eyebrow but quickly acquiesced. Nagasawa led Rei back into the school, and the First Child followed without a word. However, something nagged at Rei. Nagasawa seemed off somehow; it was like the air around her was crackling with power in a way it certainly never had in the past.

Most people would have caulked this up to their imagination running away with them. Of course Rei wasn't most people, but as the First Child decided that Nagasawa's strange aura was also irrelevant, she might as well have been.

The teacher led Rei to an empty classroom and shut the door behind them. Rei turned to face Nagasawa and waited patiently for the teacher to speak.

Except she never did. Instead, Nagasawa grabbed Rei firmly by the shoulders. The First Child gasped as reality seemed to break around her, the classroom dissolving before her eyes. Powerful wind gusted all around her, and her surroundings became an incomprehensible blur. Only she herself and the older woman remained constant in the bizarre maelstrom she'd suddenly found herself trapped within.

Light and sound buffeted her, threatening to overload her senses. For a few terrifying seconds, the First Child found herself unable to draw a breath. She tried to scream but found doing so was impossible.

Then, just as abruptly as it had begun, it stopped, and the world solidified again. The hands on her shoulders suddenly disappeared, and Rei instantly fell, landing hard on her rear.

Rei ignored the pain and barely panted, despite the way her heart was hammering in her chest. The blue haired girl immediately realized that she had _not_ landed on the tiled floor of the school. Instead, the ground beneath her was sandy, as though she were on a beach.

Rei quickly looked around. She was indeed no longer in the school, nor was she anyplace that she recognized. Instead, she was at the edge of what appeared to be an island. There was no sign of human habitation where she was, save for a dirt road which led off into the deep vegetation away from the narrow strip of beach she was on. Several of the plants didn't look as though they belonged in Japan, and the air was more humid than she'd ever felt it in Tokyo-3. The breeze carried the smell of salt to her nose, allowing her to deduce that the body of water nearby was an ocean.

"Ayanami-san."

Rei abruptly realized that there was someone right next to her, though she had no idea how anyone could have evaded her notice while getting so close.

The First Child looked up to see an exceptionally tall woman, nearly eight feet in height, standing beside her. She wore a blue tunic, which would have looked very out of place in Tokyo-3 but by itself wasn't _so_ strange. Over this, however, she had a bronze breast plate, and on her head was a large, bronze helmet, which was tipped up, allowing her face to be seen. On one arm was a round shield, also made of bronze, and her free hand held a long spear.

Nagasawa, Rei noted, was nowhere to be seen.

"Who are you?" Rei asked as she got to her feet, her voice far too calm for her current situation.

The corners of the huge woman's lips quirked upwards in the ghost of a smile. "I am Pallas Athena," she replied, "the goddess of wisdom and war."

Rei quirked an eyebrow. "I see."

If the goddess found this less than emotional response surprising, she didn't show it. "You, Rei Ayanami, are a child of prophecy."

Rei frowned. She knew that the Dead Sea Scrolls mentioned her, albeit not by name. Or, more accurately, she had been created to fit in with certain parts of those ancient texts. However, she had no idea how this woman claiming to be a goddess could know that.

Unless, of course, her claims held at least some truth, but Rei wasn't at all ready to accept that just yet.

"Yes, it is true," Athena said, apparently misinterpreting Rei's expression. "It has been ordained that at some point in the future, only you, a woman not conceived by the seed of man, will be able to prevent the destruction of the world. My…family and I have decided to aid you in saving the world as best we can."

Rei's frown deepened slightly as she realized that the prophecy Athena spoke of had nothing to do with the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was true that she was a woman "not conceived by the seed of man" as she had been created in a laboratory from the DNA of Lilith and Yui Ikari. However, the ancient prophecies SEELE and Commander Ikari used to guide them never referenced her as such.

Yet whatever prophecy Athena had heard was correct so far as the First Child could tell. Rei knew only too well that, unless something went catastrophically wrong with the Commander's scenario, she or one of her "sisters" would briefly hold power over the entire world.

Indeed, she existed to take that power from the forbidden union of Adam and Lilith, and then bequeath it to the Commander, who would remake the world with it. She fully intended to fulfill her purpose when the time came, and she decided it would be best to inform Athena of this.

"But—"

"I realize that this task seems daunting," Athena cut her off, "but rest assured, you will be endowed with powers that will make you more than a match for any challenge you might face."

"I—"

"Nor will you be alone," Athena continued. "Though ancient rules forbid me from certain actions and interferences, I shall watch over you and aid you as best I can for the whole of your journey."

Before Rei could again attempt to protest, she heard the sound of approaching hoof beats. Both she and the goddess turned to see another woman approaching on the back of a brown mare. The new woman had raven black hair and a proud face with high cheek bones. She wore a white dress and had a staff that looked it might be made of solid gold sitting on her lap.

Bringing her steed to a halt, the new woman grabbed her staff and dismounted. She quickly went down on one knee, bowed to Athena, and then said something in another language. Athena responded in kind, and the new woman rose to her feet.

Rei wasn't positive, but she thought the language they were speaking might be Greek.

Athena and the new woman conversed briefly in this possibly Greek language, and Rei heard the goddess speak her name. A moment later, the raven haired woman turned to the First Child.

"Greetings, Rei Ayanami," she said in accented but perfect Japanese. "I am Queen Hippolyta, the ruler of this island. Welcome to Themyscria."

* * *

Author's Notes: Those of you who know anything about DC comics will know who Rei's going to be. Those of you who don't (and I know at least a couple of you are reading these things), feel free spend two minutes on Google finding out (trust me, it shouldn't take longer than that) or wait until the next chapter of this when it'll become obvious.

By the way, for anyone who's wondering why I chose the Roman Sibyl instead of the more famous Delphic Oracle, it's simply because I'm slightly sketchy on the myths surrounding the latter, and I know that the former was cursed with immortality by Apollo, so she would still be alive even in 2015. It probably doesn't gel as well with DC continuity, but the exact identity of who spit out the prophecy that gets the plot moving isn't a hugely important detail.

So, anyway, all three of Eva's main females have now had their second Superwomen of Eva story started. Now I get to the task of updating them while adding in the stories of the more peripheral female characters. Speaking of which, I've decided to write stories for the game-only girls as well—because I'm insane!

Okay, while I might well be insane, that's not the reason for my plans. I realized that there were certain…gaps in the SOE2-verse that I had planned, and then I realized that the game girls, particularly Mayumi, could help me fill them. Then I started writing down ideas and getting excited about them, and _then_ I realized I was going to write these stories whether it was a good idea to take on two more or not. My fellow writers will understand, I'm sure.

Plus, Archdruid-Sephiroth has stated that he's not interested in writing an SOE2 fic, and The Rei-Fan hasn't updated "The Truth Is" since the end of January, so I kind of feel like the field is open.

Whee, another absurdly huge author's note. Let me just say thanks to all my readers and reviewers. Oh, and sorry, but I couldn't come up with an omake for this prologue. I'll try and make it up to you next chapter.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from the fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter One: **Initiations

"Greetings, Rei Ayanami," the new woman said in accented but perfect Japanese. "I am Queen Hippolyta, the ruler of this island. Welcome to Themyscira."

"Hello," Rei replied, with a slight bow.

It was the only response she could even think to make.

"Everyone living on this island is an Amazon," Hippolyta continued. "The goddess Athena has requested that we endow you with Amazonian abilities and train you for the trials you must face."

"I cannot remain here to receive training," Rei said.

"Fear not," Hippolyta said, "Time flows differently here on Themyscira than it does on Patriarch's World. You will not be gone long enough by the reckoning of those you left for your absence to be noticed."

Rei felt something akin to exasperation; that wasn't what she'd meant.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that neither Athena nor Hippolyta was to be dissuaded from what they were attempting to do. And as Rei had no idea how she could leave this place and return to Tokyo-3 without their aid, it seemed like there was little to do but go along with their desires.

"Then we should begin as soon as possible," she said.

Hippolyta agreed, and mounted her horse again, then helped Rei get on behind her. The Amazon queen advised Rei to hold tightly onto her, and the First Child obeyed, wrapping her arms around the woman's waist.

"I will not fail you, my lady," Hippolyta promised Athena.

"I know you will not," Athena replied.

The goddess then transformed into an owl once more and flew off. Rei couldn't help but blink in surprise at the metamorphosis.

She didn't have time to look in wonder at the owl as it soared away, however, as Hippolyta clicked her tongue, causing her steed to take off. The horse trotted down the dirt road, and a city very much unlike Tokyo-3 soon came into view.

All the buildings were constructed in the Greco-Roman style, and ranged from modest villas to great temples of white marble with soaring stone columns. Women of every race and ethnicity imaginable could be seen in the city streets, many of whom wore bronze armor and carried weapons. However, there were no men anywhere that Rei could see.

"First we must magically endow you with Amazonian powers," Hippolyta told Rei. "Then we will work on honing your new talents."

Rei merely nodded. Hippolyta guided her horse to the largest marble temple in the city, then dismounted. Rei jumped down as well, following the queen as she strode toward the entrance.

Hippolyta exchanged several quick words in Greek with a pair of white robed priestesses near the entrance. The two of them nodded and went rushing inside. The queen then turned and gestured for Rei to follow her before she entered herself.

The inside of the temple was almost impossibly grand. It was all one great room, nearly the size of the chamber where Lilith languished in Terminal Dogma, with larger than life statues of the Greek pantheon lining the walls. Rei couldn't help but notice that one of the statues bore more than a slight resemblance to the woman who'd been calling herself Athena.

In the center of the room was an immense bronze brazier where a huge bonfire blazed merrily. Situated at the midpoint between this and the far wall was a marble alter.

"Come," Hippolyta said, walking forward until she was next to the alter.

The queen then seemed content to wait as several more priestesses arrived. The last group of them to show up came with several bottles of wine and a fatted calf, which they led inside by a leash.

The priestesses arranged themselves into some kind of pattern that Rei didn't understand, with one of them standing between the brazier and the alter. This one soon began to speak. Rei couldn't understand the Greek words, but she recognized a dramatic tone when she heard one.

"She is asking the gods to grant you power," Hippolyta whispered to Rei, incorrectly assuming that the blue haired girl would be curious about what was happening, "and offering a sacrifice to the Olympians."

Rei silently wondered why an offering had to be made to the gods when the Amazons were performing a task that the immortals had asked of them. However, she didn't bother questioning; the Commander had told her long ago that all religions were shot through with contradictions and irrationalities for which there were no logical explanations.

Moments later, the head priestess opened the bottles of wine which had been brought and poured them into the roaring fire. She then unsheathed a long knife.

Rei winced involuntarily as the head priestess cut the fatted calf's throat, collecting the blood in a clay bowl. To Rei's surprise, the priestess easily lifted the recently deceased cattle by herself and threw the whole animal into the blaze.

The First Child realized that the fire was beginning to billow smoke for the first time as the calf's body burned. The smell of roasting meat suddenly hit her nostrils, causing her to grimace slightly.

A pair of priestesses stepped forward, each one taking one of Rei's hands in both of theirs and guiding her to lay down upon the altar. She did so without protest, wondering what was supposed to happen now as the head priestess continued to speak.

Almost without her realizing it, the First Child became drowsy, and her eyelids drooped. She tried to resist sleep, but it was rapidly becoming inevitable, which was very strange; Rei hadn't been the least bit tired a few minutes ago.

She noticed that the smoke and the flickering light of the fire made the statues of the gods looked almost as if they were moving—as if they were breathing. She carried this observation with her into slumber.

* * *

When Rei awoke, she was no longer in the temple but was laying in bed within a simple, nondescript room.

She felt…different, she realized. Her body felt lighter than it had before, so much so that it almost seemed like she would be blown away in a strong wind.

The First Child threw off the blankets to examine herself, half expecting to find herself emaciated. This was not the case, however. Someone had replaced her school uniform with a white tunic that was belted at the waist with a gold-colored sash, but otherwise her appearance was unchanged.

Rei quickly got out of bed, and judged from her lack of stiffness that she hadn't been asleep and laying down for very long, which was good. So far as she was concerned, the less time she spent in this place, the better.

"I wonder what's changed," she mused softly, looking down at her hands.

She suddenly recalled how the head priestess had so casually lifted the baby cow by herself, then turned to scrutinize the bed she'd just risen from. It had a large and rather bulky frame that was made of oak; the thing easily weighed far more than she did.

Placing her hands beneath it, Rei pushed…and the bed smoothly rose up off the ground. She easily lifted it high off the floor, then held it above her head with one hand.

Rei's eyes widened as she looked up at the bottom of the bed, barely even feeling the weight of it.

Hippolyta chose this very moment to enter the room. The queen of the Amazons looked not at all nonplussed by the feat of strength Rei was performing.

"Put that down and come along," she ordered calmly. "It's time to begin your training."

"Wait," Rei said. "What has happened to me?"

"The gods have given you their blessings," Hippolyta answered, as though this explained everything. "Not only are you now an Amazon, but you are the Wonder Girl as well. Now come. You have much to learn, and not much time to learn it in."

* * *

The next several days were a grueling marathon. Rei would never be able to say just how many days were spent in training, for though she could usually keep time as well as any clock, weariness caused the days to become a blur after the first three had passed.

Her training consisted of learning swordsmanship (or swords-woman-ship as the case was on Themyscira, for Rei never did see a single male), archery, and hand-to-hand combat techniques, as well as the use of a lasso and a spear.

Rei had no idea how knowing any of this could have helped her avert Third Impact, even if she were of a mind to do so. However, she didn't ask about this, nor did she complain, much like she had never asked or complained much about her function at NERV. Instead, she silently obeyed whatever orders she was given to the best of her abilities.

There were also exercises meant to further increase her already enormously enhanced strength, speed and reflexes. Rei found these significantly more practical; she hadn't realized it at first, but her coordination had been badly thrown off by her sudden augmentation. She had found herself accidentally destroying nearly everything she touched during the first few days, as well as taking several needless spills because of her sudden clumsiness. The exercises helped her adjust to her new abilities.

Most of her training was conducted by Hippolyta herself, or by other Amazons. However, other instructors came to Themyscira from time to time to teach her.

"Well, done, Rei Ayanami," said Artemis, goddess of the hunt, as an arrow that the First Child had fired slammed into the bull's-eye of a distant target.

Rei nodded silently in acknowledgement.

Artemis scrutinized Rei silently for a few seconds, obviously debating something with herself. Finally, she nodded. "You're ready."

Rei frowned. "Ready for what?"

Rather than answer, Artemis produced a pair of bronze gauntlets, which looked like shackles. "Put those on," she said. "You'll need them."

Rei obediently placed the gauntlets on her forearms, finding that once she had closed them she couldn't immediately detect the seam where they opened. "Need them for what?" she asked.

Artemis took several paces away from Rei. "To deflect the arrows," she answered casually, then whistled sharply.

Suddenly, dozens of Amazons broke cover from the surrounding shrubbery. Rei's eyes widened as she took them in. They had arranged themselves into a rough semi-circle around her, and every last one of them held a bow and had a quiver full of arrows.

Before the First Child could voice a word of protest, the archers had all knocked arrows then let the projectiles fly.

Rei reacted reflexively, bringing her arms up and using her new gauntlets to block the arrows. This would have been simple enough for her, but the sheer number of arrows coming at her made it significantly more difficult. Her arms became blurs as she frantically tried to keep up with the bombardment, always feeling like she was moving just a little too slow, and that she was constantly on the verge of receiving a rather grievous puncture wound.

Yet after several long, long seconds, the archers had exhausted their supply of arrows, and Rei remained untouched by them.

"Well done, Rei Ayanami!" Artemis spoke, much more enthusiastic than before. "I believe that you may have gained all you can from your training here."

"You could have killed me," Rei said, with a lack of anger most people would have found puzzling.

Artemis just picked up one of the arrows from the ground and showed it to Rei. However, the First Child didn't understand what exactly she was supposed to be seeing. The arrows heads were made of metal and had wicked points, as well as carved barbs at the back that insured that the removal of such an arrow would cause even more damage than the initial puncture.

"An ordinary arrow," Artemis said. "Such a thing is unlikely to harm an ordinary Amazon, let alone the Wonder Girl."

"…I see," was all Rei said in reply.

* * *

Not long after this incident, Hippolyta declared Rei's crash course completed.

"I should like you to have further training," the queen said as she led the First Child through the city. "The gods know you could use it, with the labor you have before you. However, you have learned the essentials, and time passes even on Themyscira. We must return you to your own land before you are missed."

Rei certainly voiced no objections as she was led into a temple, this one dedicated solely to Athena. The First Child was somehow unsurprised to find the goddess standing before a larger than life, marble statue of herself within the place of worship.

She was, however, rather intrigued by the collection of weapons, armor and other items that were spread out by the temple's altar.

"My lady," Hippolyta said, bowing low to the goddess. "I have done as you asked and trained this girl as an Amazon."

Rei bowed as well, though this was more from being raised in a culture where people bowed as a matter of course than any great respect she had for the woman who'd spirited her away from her home city.

"Rise with my thanks, Queen Hippolyta," Athena said.

She did so, and Rei straightened up as well. Athena turned her stormy, gray eyes on the First Child. "You, Rei Ayanami, are in a rather unique position, even among champions of the gods."

Rei didn't reply, satisfied to wait until Athena had spoken her piece and returned her to Tokyo-3.

"It is exceedingly rare for my entire family to join in a united front, but that is what has occurred here," Athena continued, obviously quite willing to answer the question Rei hadn't asked. "One of the results of this is that we can send you back to your home with a much fuller arsenal than most heroes enjoy."

She gestured to the assembled treasures, and selected from them a pair of winged sandals. When Athena picked them up, their shape and color shifted, until they'd become a pair of red boots with a white stripe down the front and another around the top.

"The Sandals of Hermes," Athena said, handing the boots to Rei. "Whoever wears them will possess the power of flight."

Rei's eyes widened slightly as she took the footwear, finding the idea of being able to fly interesting even to her.

"Now, give me those gauntlets," Athena said, referring to the bronze ones Artemis had given her earlier.

Rei fiddled with the pieces of armor for a few seconds, eventually getting them off and handing them to Athena. The goddess took them and exchanged them for a silver pair, which she told Rei were utterly indestructible.

"Now, armor befitting an Amazon warrior, forged by Hephaestus himself," Athena said, presenting Rei with another item.

The First Child held the garment up before her and then gave the goddess of wisdom an extremely skeptical look. The armor, if one could really call it that, was shaped like a leotard, with an ornate band of bronze around the waist, and a pair of bronze W's that vaguely resembled a bird of prey at the top. Above the "belt" the outfit was a deep red, and below it, the material was a dark blue with white stars.

Correctly interpreting Rei's look, Athena said, "It will loan you a good degree of protection from magical attacks. Most Amazons usually choose not to wear heavier armor, preferring greater speed over further adding to their own durability."

"Why does it look like that?" Rei asked.

"Hephaestus's wife prefers the company of the war god," Athena explained uncomfortably, actually blushing. "I am told that the lack of release he must usually endure tends to affect him when he creates items such as this for females."

"I was referring to the color," Rei said.

Though the "armor" _did_ look like it would be more than a little revealing…

"Oh," Athena said. "Well, the Lord of the Forges was rather enamored with America when he made this. They had recently won their 'space race' against the Soviet Union, and he felt that they were perhaps his greatest followers of all time."

"I see," Rei said.

Athena was only too happy to move away from the subject of the magic armor, now picking up a gold tiara with a red star emblazoned on the front. "This, Rei, will conceal your identity whenever you wear it."

Rei quirked an eyebrow. The tiara would do nothing to hide her face. "How?" she asked.

"It has been enchanted by Apate, the goddess of deception," Athena answered. "It will not change your appearance at all, but neither man nor machine will ever be able to recognize you for who you are while you wear it."

Rei nodded and accepted the tiara, still more than a little uncertain of its effectiveness.

Next came a spear, sword, small round shield and a Corinthian helmet. "I do not suggest you carry these, except for when you expect particularly fierce combat," Athena said. "Nevertheless, I am sure they will be useful. They are all made of Olympian bronze."

"Olympian bronze?" Rei asked.

This time it was Hippolyta who answered, casting a look of awe at the bronze items as she did so. "A magic substance, forged from materials mined from Mount Olympus itself. It is some of the hardest metal in existence," she said. "It is very heavy, so tools or weapons forged from it are impractical unless one possesses strength beyond the human norm. It is very effective against monsters, demigods, empowered mortals such as yourself, and even minor deities."

"Yes, however, normal mortals cannot be harmed by Olympian bronze," Athena added. "They simply aren't important enough."

Rei nodded and Athena continued, presenting her with a large bow that was a gift from Artemis. Supposedly, it was impossible for a normal human to string the weapon, but Rei had no difficulty. The First Child was also given a quiver full of arrows with Olympian bronze points.

Next came a cloak so black that it seemed like it might suck all the light from the room.

"This cloak of darkness is from Hades," Athena said. "The wearer becomes one with the shadows, and thus completely invisible to all mortal eyes and devices."

Once again more than a little skeptical, Rei silently accepted the garment.

"I am not sure there is enough room in my apartment for all of this," Rei said, looking at the pile of treasures she'd been given.

Certainly, it would be impossible to hide the things, not that she planned on it.

Athena smiled. "Never fear, young one, I already thought of that."

The goddess produced a chest that was about the size of the average footlocker from behind the altar, and immediately Rei felt her gaze drawn to it. The box was obviously ancient, but the designs upon it were absolutely beautiful. The way the paint was chipped and fading did nearly nothing to diminish its appearance.

Rei, who was usually completely incurious about anything not having to do with the Commander's scenario and her purpose, found herself yearning to know what might be contained within. Unconsciously, she slowly began to reach out for the rim of the lid.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Pandora's box," Athena answered.

Rei Ayanami didn't know terribly much about Greek mythology, but she _had_ heard about this particular item; she quickly pulled her hand back.

"Fear not," Athena said, "the evils which were once contained within have escaped long ago. There is no harm in opening the box now."

With some degree of reluctance still present, Rei flipped the lid open. She was strangely disappointed to find it completely empty.

"The box can hold an infinite amount," Athena said. "You can easily store all your treasures within. Be warned, though, that the box's magic has decayed somewhat over the eons. Once it was fairly light no matter how much it contained but no longer."

Rei nodded, knowing that lifting the thing would pose no challenge for her, even when she had placed all her other gifts within.

"I believe that is it, then," Athena spoke.

"Not quite, my lady," Hippolyta said. "There is a gift that I would present to my student before she would depart."

A lasso made of a long golden rope hung at the queen's hip. She removed it and pressed it into Rei's hands. "This is a true Amazon weapon," Hippolyta said. "You will find that this lasso is completely indestructible, much like your new gauntlets. It also has certain…other abilities, but these will only become available to you in times of dire need."

Rei nodded, accepting the gift.

A few minutes later, everything had been packed into Pandora's box, and Rei was ready to return to Japan.

"I bid you farewell, Queen Hippolyta," Athena said, then placed a hand on Rei's shoulder.

Immediately, the goddess and the blue-haired Amazon vanished.

Hippolyta sighed, shaking her head. The girl had shown talent in her training and had applied herself with admirable dedication, but…

"No warrior's spirit in that one," the queen said, shaking her head regretfully. "I only hope she finds some, or we may all be doomed. She is not the person I would have selected to be the Wonder Girl."

* * *

Once again, Rei was overcome by the same terrible winds and the sense of the world blurring around her that she'd experienced when she'd been spirited away from Tokyo-3. Mere moments later, however, it ended.

Rei found herself sitting in the passenger's seat of a moving car, and she was once again wearing her school uniform. Judging from how low the orange sun was in the sky, it was late afternoon.

"As I was saying," the driver spoke, startling Rei, "I really can't give you a ride home often, Ayanami-san."

Rei turned to see that Nagasawa, the teacher who'd asked to speak to her just before she'd been taken to Themsycira, was the one who was in control of the vehicle. Except she strongly suspected that this wasn't Nagasawa, not truly.

"What day is it?" Rei blurted out at once.

"Why, it's the fifth, of course," the teacher answered, frowning. "Are you all right, Ayanami-san?"

The fifth. That was the day it had been when she'd disappeared. Assuming that Nagasawa was telling the truth (and Rei had a sneaking suspicion that she was), then she'd lost only a few hours.

"I am…fine," Rei said softly.

"Good," Nagasawa said. "You'll forgive me for saying so, Ayanami-san, but I've no wish to have to take you to the hospital."

Rei didn't reply, and soon Nagasawa was pulling her car in front of the First Child's apartment building. Feeling strangely numb, Rei got out of the car and headed for the door of the rickety old building she called home.

"Ayanami-san!" Nagasawa called after her before she'd gotten five steps away from the car.

Rei turned. "Yes?"

"Have you forgotten about your things?" Nagasawa asked, sounding exasperated.

Before Rei could say anything, the teacher had gotten out of her car and opened the trunk. The First Child was unsurprised to see her pull out Pandora's box.

"Here you are, Ayanami-san," Nagasawa said, handing her the wooden chest. Rei could tell by the weight that the gifts she'd received were inside of it. "Oh, and here's your book."

The teacher placed a thick, leather bound tome atop Pandora's box. The gold lettering on the front cover gave the book's title as "The Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology."

Rei looked up at Nagasawa, and for a moment, the teacher's perpetually stern visage was spoiled by the twinkle in her gray eyes.

"I must applaud your choice of reading material, Ayanami-san," Nagasawa commented. "Too many people today underestimate the value that knowledge of the classics holds."

Having said her piece, the teacher turned and headed back to her car without a word, and then drove off. Rei watched her car until it turned a corner and disappeared, then she finally entered her apartment building. She stepped into the building's elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor…

Only to have the elevator generate a horrendous groaning noise, causing her to wince until she managed to stab the emergency stop button.

She looked down at Pandora's box, immediately realizing her error. The days when the elevator could lift the 1,500 kilograms that the little sign above the buttons claimed it could were long, long gone. Obviously, the Olympian bronze she carried with her was overtaxing the old elevator's motor.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Rei pushed the door open button and walked out, heading for the stairs. She arrived at her grim little apartment, and found herself strangely assaulted by the memory of the small but clean room where she'd slept (usually like a rock thanks to her exhaustion) while she was on Themyscira.

Shaking this irrelevancy off, Rei set her chest down on the floor, along with the book. Then she turned and left her apartment, heading back outside. Once she was at the street, she looked around suspiciously for any sign of Athena or Nagasawa. Finding none, the First Child set out for the nearest bus stop.

She had to inform Commander Ikari about what had happened. She would have phoned him, but she somehow suspected that if she wasn't there in person to demonstrate her new abilities, he might be more than a little dubious of her tale.

* * *

The bus was free of other passengers when Rei boarded it, which didn't surprise the First Child. There were few stops between where she boarded and the Geofront access point, and no NERV employees were en route to headquarters at the moment, as the current work shift was less than half over.

She fully expected that no one else would board the bus before it took her to where she needed to go, but this proved not to be the case. At the very next stop, a young woman climbed on and sat down right next to Rei, despite all the other seats being vacant.

This new woman was gorgeous, with shining blond hair—quite rare in Japan—and bright blue eyes. She wore a simple pink dress, but she filled it out exquisitely. The woman practically seemed to glow with beauty and vitality.

Rei, who was normally quite indifferent about her appearance, found herself feeling very plain and self-conscious in the blonde's presence.

"Hello, Rei-chan."

The blue haired girl started and turned to look at the woman. "Who are you?" Rei asked.

"Aphrodite, goddess of love, at your service," the stunning blonde replied cheerfully.

"Why are you here?" Rei asked.

"I know what you're about to do," Aphrodite answered simply.

"You do?" Rei asked, feeling her heartbeat begin to speed up with anxiety.

"Oh, yes," the love goddess replied. "I did a little research on you, once Athena took you to Themyscira and effectively revealed you as the woman in the prophecy. It soon became obvious to me what you'd do upon your return."

"But…how did you figure it out?" Rei asked, dismayed. "Athena did not."

She had assumed that if the goddess of wisdom didn't outguess her, then none of the other Olympians would.

Aphrodite gave a snort of disdain. It seemed an impossibly uncouth sound, coming from such a beautiful woman. "Of course she didn't. She expects everyone to behave as rationally as she does," she said. "Unlike myself, the owl never did understand what makes mortals—and gods, for that matter—behave irrationally."

"I am not behaving irrationally," Rei protested.

Aphrodite smiled down at the pilot of Unit Zero, but there was condescension in her expression. It was the way one might smile at a child who'd expressed an incredibly naïve belief, one she would not be cured of until life painfully showed her she was wrong.

"My dear, you are aiding a man who intends to burn the whole world so he may be reunited with a dead woman," the goddess said. "You are."

"How were you able to find out so much about the Commander's plans?" Rei asked.

"Love, albeit a twisted form of it, is what drives him," the goddess answered as if this explained everything. "The lengths he's going to in order to have his precious Yui back are impressive, in their own way, but I preferred their story before he started adding extra chapters to it. It's impossible to sympathize with the man now that he's decided to sacrifice this world on the altar of his own greed."

Rei just glared stonily at Aphrodite, clearly unwilling to be swayed by this line of argument. The immortal was not the least bit discouraged, however.

"Tell me, Rei-chan, did you ever pause to consider all that would be lost, should Ikari succeed?" Aphrodite asked casually.

"It does not matter," Rei replied.

"No? None of it? Everything and everyone are all meaningless?" Aphrodite asked, staring intently at the First Child.

She tried to answer that this was correct, but she found herself unable to speak. The goddess's deep blue gaze suddenly seemed magnetic, and Rei's eyes were drawn inexorably to Aphrodite's. She looked into them and saw—

* * *

—Shinji flinging open what must have been the superheated hatch to her entry plug.

"Ayanami!" he exclaimed as he poked his head inside. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

She looked up at the Third Child, and noted with some confusion that he was crying. Rei had been told that tears were often a sign that one was in an extremely emotional state, usually great sadness, but what could have done that to Pilot Ikari?

"Don't ever say that you have nothing else besides EVA! And don't say good-bye when you head out on a mission! It's just too sad!" Shinji said in a great rush, sounding like he was just barely holding back sobs.

It suddenly dawned on Rei that _she_ might be the reason he was in such a state. This amazed her, though none of it showed on her face. She was a tool, utterly replaceable in every way. She could think of no reason why anyone should or would become worked up over her.

And yet here was Shinji, with tears in his eyes.

"I am…sorry," she said, "but I don't know how I should react to this situation."

"Why don't you just smile?" Shinji asked.

Rei was momentarily perplexed by this request, but then she remembered another smile she had seen, not very long ago. She granted the Third Child's request, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. It was an unfamiliar, but not unpleasant thing to do.

Shinji smiled back at her, and Rei—

* * *

—let out a gasp as she suddenly returned to the present, feeling shaken by the way the goddess had so easily deposited her into a memory.

"What did you feel?" asked Aphrodite, a shrewd expression on her face.

Rei didn't need to ask the goddess to be more specific, vague though her question was. She knew that Aphrodite wanted to know what she had felt during that brief, strange moment, when she and the Third Child had simply smiled silently at one another.

"Warmth," Rei answered softly.

"Ah," Aphrodite said, looking pleased by this answer. "And what was this like, exactly? Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes," Rei admitted. "It was…pleasant."

"It was delicious," Aphrodite said.

Rei never would have described it as such herself, but she realized that it was an apt way of putting it, when she thought about it. "Yes," she agreed.

Aphrodite beamed proudly down at Rei. "You, my dear, took your first tiny step into a much larger world that night," she said. "Would you like to explore that world further?"

Rei didn't answer and looked away, but the pale pink blush that colored her cheeks spoke volumes.

"There are marvels out there for you and this boy to discover that will make even the delicious warmth you have experienced look like nothing," Aphrodite said.

The First Child turned back to her, and the goddess could clearly see the curiosity and desire burning in her red eyes, even as the rest of her face remained impassive.

"But _not_," Aphrodite said, her tone suddenly becoming almost harsh, "if you go to your Commander and report what has happened to you."

The sudden turn around in Aphrodite's demeanor caught Rei off guard, and she recoiled very slightly away from the goddess.

"He'll probably kill you," Aphrodite said. "Replace you with an 'uncorrupted' clone. Even if he doesn't, if you go along with his little scheme to the hilt, you won't be worthy of the boy. Or of any man, really, save Gendo Ikari himself, who wants his wife back. You would, after all, be allowing everyone to die, including Shinji. Such a person isn't deserving of love." She added in a particularly harsh tone.

Rei swallowed, suddenly feeling fear rise up from within her. "Pilot Ikari is the commander's son. Perhaps, when his scenario is complete, he will save Ikari's soul," she suggested, grasping at straws.

Aphrodite shook her head. "In the end, that man cares for nothing and no one but himself," she said. "He can't even honor the wishes of his late wife, the one he claims to be struggling for. He will do nothing for his son."

Much as she would have liked to, Rei couldn't really argue with this, knowing the Commander as well as she did. She hung her head, feeling a deep, horrible uncertainty that was entirely new to her. Her whole life had been run by the Commander; she had no experience at dealing with decisions such as this.

The goddess must have sensed her confusion, because she seized upon the opening she'd created for herself. "May I make a suggestion?"

Rei nodded wordlessly.

"Delay making your decision," Aphrodite said. "You need not make it now. Put it off for a while, and in the meantime, I will assist you and the boy in discovering more of the wonders that cannot be found alone."

It _was_ a tempting idea, Rei had to admit.

_I would have…more data about the feelings Pilot Ikari can make me experience,_ Rei thought, her mind rapidly trying to rationalize everything. _That way I would be able to make a more informed decision at a later date._

But helping Commander Ikari complete his scenario was the sole reason she existed. It was what she had been created to do. She would be alone in the world without the Commander, and she felt as though she would be nothing without the purpose he'd given her. It was like a birthright that defined who she was.

The bus slowed and came to a halt, reaching the last stop before the Geofront access point.

"Here's where I get off," Aphrodite announced cheerfully, rising from her seat. "I hope you enjoyed our conversation as much as I did, Rei-chan."

The goddess disembarked from the bus, leaving Rei alone with her suddenly very confused thoughts.

The rest of the trip passed in a blur, and Rei left the bus mechanically, barely paying any attention to what she was doing or where she was going. She was so distracted that she nearly walked right into the heavily armored door that kept the entrance to the Geofront shut to all but NERV personnel.

The near collision jolted her out of her stupor, and Rei took the opportunity to steel her resolve. Telling herself that everything Aphrodite had said to her was mere foolishness meant to distract her from her very reason for being, she swiped her card through the reader and marched inside, intent on telling the Commander everything that had transpired of late.

However, she hadn't counted on the enormous escalator that led down into the Geofront.

She had ridden the thing easily thousands of times in her short life, and she had never thought twice about it before. However, now the ride downward seemed endless, as it gave her _far_ too much time to continue debating silently with herself over the correct course of action.

It didn't help that she kept remembering how she had struck the Third Child while riding this very escalator. She had slapped him for speaking poorly of the Commander, but she had done nothing in retaliation when Aphrodite had said far worse. Why had she done that, she wondered.

_You struck him, _a voice in her mind whispered, _and yet he was still so happy to see you were all right._

Would it really be so wrong if she waited to tell the Commander about this? He had never really cared much about what went on in her life, aside from any events that were related to her piloting.

_No, this isn't right,_ Rei tried to tell herself. _You owe him your very existence._

It was a powerful belief, but it now had powerful opponents within her mind. For the first time in her life, Rei Ayanami knew _want_. Not the ordinary kind of wanting, where one might desire steak rather than fish for dinner. This was the kind of wanting where one was willing to do whatever had to be done, sacrifice almost whatever had to be sacrificed, to obtain the object of their desire.

Rei didn't consciously realize that she wanted to explore her infant relationship with the pilot of Unit One with such intensity; Gendo's efforts to keep her as ignorant of human emotion as possible ensured that. However, this proved immaterial. Paradoxical though it might have seemed, just because she didn't understand how badly she wanted it didn't make her desires any less powerful.

Her internal duel grew so terrible that when she reached the main doors to NERV headquarters, she merely stood there motionlessly as she tried to sort out this dizzying conflict within her, even as it grew ever more chaotic with each passing second.

She might have stood there for hours and reached no decision, but for the interference of one man who had no idea what she was thinking about.

"Rei?" Aoba spoke. "Are you all right?"

She whirled about to face the long haired technician, finding him standing a little ways from her and holding a steaming Styrofoam cup. Apparently, he'd decided to take his coffee break outside.

"I am fine," she answered at once. "I was just…leaving."

_God, why can't any of these piloting kids be normal?_ Aoba wondered silently as Rei departed.

* * *

Author's Notes: Low on action, I know, but give me another chapter or two. I promise I won't disappoint you.

And yes, for those of you who didn't realize it last chapter, Rei is the Wonder Girl. Why? Well, partly because I just felt like I had to. But there are other (better) reasons than that.

One such reason is that I felt I needed someone (or several someones) to serve as a kind of mentor figure for Rei, lest she use her new powers to help Gendo, but I wanted whoever it was to be different from the Lilith of _Lilith's Herald_. And who could be more different than the Olympian gods?

Anyway, DC fans will note several little tweaks I made to the Wonder Woman mythos. This was done mostly because, while I like the core idea of WW (literal Amazon with girl power to burn), several aspects of the story always just struck me as silly.

I should also note that I've heavily divided on the issue of the lasso; the Lasso of Truth is a pretty integral part of WW's arsenal, but it could potentially make things such as telling one's feelings to another easy, and one of the central themes of Eva is that doing that sort of thing is hard. I left the door open for Rei's lasso to become the Lasso of Truth, but there's every chance I won't walk through it.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers, reviewers, and beta reader. Now, enough of my incessant rambling. Time for a little fun.

* * *

Omake

Tryouts for Replacement Wonder Girl/Woman, take one

Hippolyta sighed, shaking her head. The girl had shown talent in her training and had applied herself with admirable dedication, but…

"No warrior's spirit in that one," the queen said, shaking her head regretfully. "I only hope she finds some, or we may all be doomed. She is not the person I would have selected to be the Wonder Girl."

_Hmm, I wonder…_

* * *

"I do _not_ like this," Asuka said as she looked down at the red, white, and blue leotard she had been forced to wear.

How anyone could manage to force Asuka to wear anything she didn't want to was a mystery we won't address, because this is an omake and logical consistently is therefore not required.

"What's not to like?" Hippolyta asked.

"Well, in the comic books, didn't you fix things so some redheaded woman would replace Diana as the Wonder Woman, because you'd learned of a prophecy that said the Wonder Woman was going to be killed and didn't want your daughter to bite it?" Asuka asked.

Hippolyta hesitated. "…maybe."

"Do you have even the slightest clue of just _how_ crappy this idea is?" Asuka demanded, switching tacts.

"What?" Hippolyta asked. "This makes perfect sense. You've been training for the task of saving the world since you were four or five."

"Yes, but in this Superwomen of Eva-verse, I'm a friggin' _kryptonian!_" Asuka exclaimed. "And you just gave me the Wonder Girl's power _on top of_ my own absurdly huge strength! Do you not see how this could cause problems?!"

"…no," the queen of the Amazons lied. "Now I'm just going to go…far away while you test your new powers."

With that, Hippolyta jumped on her horse and immediately forced it to a gallop, disappearing in seconds.

"Damn it," Asuka grumbled.

The redhead just stood there for a few seconds, but she quickly became bored. Deciding to experiment, she walked up to a large tree, and with one finger, touched it as lightly as she could.

The mighty tree instantly exploded into a cloud of splinters.

"Mein Gott!" Asuka exclaimed.

A few of the minute bits of what had once been a tree found their way into Asuka's nostrils, tickling her nose.

_Uh-oh,_ she thought, trying desperately to hold back the sneeze she felt coming.

Alas, her efforts were to no avail.

_"AHHH-CHOOO!!!"_

And that is how the island of Themyscira was completely annihilated.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from the fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Two:** The Will of the Gods

If there was one thing that Hiro Kosaya had learned from working in a hardware store, it was a bad place to meet women. It was very unusual for a woman to ever enter his place, and when they did, it was usually in the company of a man that she was trying to make perform some bit of home improvement. Female customers coming in alone was rare to the point of being freakish.

So having a teenage girl come in the moment he unlocked the doors that morning was something that struck him as _really_ weird. Indeed, it was so strange that he barely noticed she had blue hair at first.

"Can I help you find something, miss?" Kosaya asked.

"I do not require assistance," she replied in a flat, soft voice.

He noticed that her eyes were badly bloodshot, and immediately his own eyes narrowed, wondering if she'd indulging in illegal narcotics and had wandered into his store while under the influence of them.

_If that's the case, she'll probably just buy the first shiny thing she sees and leave,_ he thought. _She certainly seems calm enough._

Mentally shrugging, Kosaya ceased wondering at his unusual patron and began the usual routine of preparing the store for another day of business. However, he was only at it for a couple of minutes before the girl approached him with a couple of items in hand.

"I would like to purchase these," she said, placing her selections on the check out counter.

He looked down, seeing that she had picked a simple brown tarp and a padlock. The former item confused him a bit, but it was the latter that really caught his attention. The blue haired girl had selected the biggest, nastiest padlock in his inventory; in the absence of the key, it would take a hydraulic cutter or a blowtorch to get into whatever _that_ thing protected.

Sympathy ran through Kosaya as the pieces started to click into place in his mind. His little shop was very close to the "border" that separated the glittering, ultra-modern section of Tokyo-3 from the run down slums that were left over from when the city had been Hakone. It wasn't that uncommon for some desperate individuals from the slums to cross said border in the night and attempt to rob or mug someone.

Such a person had probably tried to break into this girl's home last night. The fear had probably kept her up all night, which would explain the bloodshot eyes, and the lock was probably so she could regain some feeling of safety.

"Let me guess," he said as he rang up her purchase, "you're upgrading your home security?"

"You could…say that," she replied.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, what's the tarp for?" he asked.

Normally, he tried not to pry into the customers' business, but he was too curious about this girl to help himself.

The girl just gave him a level, unwavering stare in response that made it very clear that she _did_ mind his asking, despite the completely neutral expression on her face.

"Uh, right," he said, then told her how much money her purchases would cost.

She handed him, of all things, a NERV ID and debit card. The things were a common sight in Tokyo-3, but not in the hands of teenagers. Kosaya almost asked her where she'd gotten it from before thinking the better of it. He ran the card through the reader, then handed the girl her receipt. She took her things and left without a word.

Kosaya watched her through his storefront window until she had gone out of sight, feeling like she was a cryptogram he'd never learn the solution to.

Then he shrugged and got to the task of doing an inventory of all the gardening equipment.

* * *

Upon returning to her apartment, Rei wasted no time in tearing open the box that contained padlock she'd purchased and using it to seal Pandora's box. Then she used the tarp to cover the wooden chest, hoping that the ability it had to make people feel compelled to open it wouldn't take effect if they couldn't see it.

This struck her as a rather poor set of precautions to take in hiding such an enormous secret, but Rei had been able to come up with no better. And, in truth, it actually did make her feel a bit better about her situation.

The First Child had spent most of the previous night discovering how unpleasant and how insomnia-inducing the act of second-guessing an important decision could be, and any bit of comfort was welcome at this point.

In the darkness of the previous night, it had seemed virtually inevitable that the Commander would discover any information she kept from him. Pandora's box had seemed an impossible thing to hide, as did the fact that she had added some muscle mass to her lithe frame while on Themsycria, as well as significant tone. Since she had, from the _perspective of those in Tokyo-3, recovered from several bad injuries only very recently, she obvious should be in __better__ physical condition than she'd been before getting hurt._

Rei still wasn't quite sure how to keep the changes to her physique a secret, especially when she was floating naked in a tube of LCL, but somehow, things didn't seem quite as bleak to her in the light of the morning.

If they had, she might have reserved her earlier decision and gone to tell the Commander about Themsycria.

_Making important decisions is very difficult,_ she mused. _It is a pity that I cannot ask the Commander how he does it on such a frequent basis._

Shaking off this thought, Rei grabbed her bag and headed off for school, like it was any other day.

* * *

Thanks to her early morning errand, the First Child arrived at Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School later than she usually did, which meant that there were a number of students milling about in the schoolyard.

Rei intended to simply walk past everyone and head for the classroom, but this wasn't what happened. Instead, a female student emerged from the crowd to intercept her.

"Ohayo, Ayanami," she greeted cheerfully.

Surprised, Rei turned to look at the girl who'd spoken her, immediately recognizing her as Miki Tanaka, a popular girl who, like most of the students at Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School, tended to ignore the First Child entirely.

Except, Rei quickly realized, it wasn't really Miki. The air around her seemed to crackle with power, in much the same way it had done with Nagasawa. She frowned. "Aphrodite?" she asked softly.

The girl's smile widened. "Right in one," then she frowned. "Oh, you don't look so good. Here, allow me."

She reached out and gripped Rei's shoulder, and the First Child felt her weariness abruptly drain away, leaving her feeling as though she had had a full night's sleep. And though she couldn't see it, the bags under her eyes rapidly disappeared, and her eyes themselves ceased to be bloodshot.

"There we are," Aphrodite said with satisfaction, releasing the First Child's shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Rei asked.

"I told you I would help you, didn't I?" Aphrodite asked with a grin.

Rei felt an unreasoned stab of anxiety plunge through her at the prospect of starting to approach Ikari right then, which confused her, since there was no logical reason that it would be easier to do at a later date. However, she didn't have time to wonder at her emotions, only to react. "I…this isn't a good time," she stammered.

"Nonsense," Aphrodite said, rubbing her hands together. "I'm not going to ask you to do anything drastic…not yet at least."

Before Rei could ask the love goddess what she meant by that, Aphrodite turned and began scanning the crowd of students for Shinji. She soon spotted the Third Child, who was nearby Toji and Kensuke. The two other boys were apparently having a conversation, while Shinji was passively listening to them.

"Ah, there he is," she said. "He's a timid one, isn't he?"

"…I suppose," Rei said, very uncertainly.

"Hmm, yes. I've always preferred aggressive men myself," Aphrodite commented, "but I suppose he's cute, in his own way."

Rei didn't reply to that.

This suited the love goddess just fine. "Ah, well, cute or not, we're going to have to do this slowly, or else you'll scare him off," she said, then turned to give Rei an appraising stare. "Though, I guess we'd have to do this slowly regardless of what kind of man he is."

Rei just arched an eyebrow.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Aphrodite asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"No," Rei answered.

The love goddess grinned. "So I see," she said. "Anyway, back to the task at hand. Now, like I said, we'll have to start you out with baby steps."

"Baby steps?" Rei echoed.

Aphrodite nodded. "Baby steps," she confirmed. "Okay, Rei Ayanami, your first assignment is this. The next time you and he are alone, and he calls you 'Ayanami,' I want you to tell him that he can call you 'Rei' instead. Oh, and try to smile at him, just a little, when you greet him. You're _much_ more attractive when you smile."

Rei blinked. "Are you serious?" she asked slowly.

"I'm completely serious," Aphrodite said. "Trust me, I _do_ know a thing or two about these matters."

With that, Aphrodite turned on her heel and walked away, melting into the crowd before Rei could decide whether or not to try and stop her in order to pose further questions.

The First Child had no idea how following Aphrodite's suggestions could affect anything; it just all seemed so…irrelevant. What difference did it make if he referred to her as "Rei" or "Ayanami?" They were both parts of her full name, and she responded to them just the same. And while she supposed she could understand that a smile was expected in certain situations, she couldn't see how the movements of a simple set of facial muscles could be so significant.

Before she could ponder the matter further, the school bell rang, signaling that classes would soon begin.

* * *

Many times in her life, Rei had heard people referring to certain stretches of time as feeling longer or shorter than they actually were. There were even idioms about this phenomenon, such as "time flies when you're having fun."

By and large, Rei had never understood this. To her, the flow of time had always seemed fairly constant, and not nearly so subjective as others apparently perceived it to be.

However, that day, she started to understand it. The previous night had felt unnaturally long, and now, as she silently tried to decide whether or not to act on Aphrodite's advice, her classes seem to rush past with impossible speed.

Indeed, when school let out for the day, Rei could barely believe it, but the clock on the wall confirmed that it was time for the students to be dismissed.

Gathering up her books as always, Rei left the school. Not long afterwards, she spotted Shinji, who was bidding good-bye to his friends as he prepared to set out for his home.

It would have been romantic if Rei were seized by some fanciful spirit and rushed over to him without giving the matter any further thought. However, this was not what happened; her next actions were determined by simple logic.

If she wasn't going to follow Aphrodite's advice, then she might as well just go straight to the Commander and report to him about what she'd experienced on Themyscira. She had already decided not to do that, at least not yet, and if Aphrodite's advice was truly as irrelevant and pointless as she suspected, there would be little possible harm in implementing it.

"Ikari," she said, approaching him at a quick walk.

He turned to face her, giving her a vaguely confused expression, possibly surprised that she was speaking to him. "Yes?"

Rei suddenly realized that she'd forgotten to smile at him, which was very strange, since she had a nearly perfect memory.

_Why is this so difficult?_ Rei wondered. The instructions Aphrodite had given her were simple. She shouldn't be having so much trouble following them.

"I was wondering if we might…walk together?" Rei asked.

Shinji blinked. "But there are no tests at NERV today and you're going in the opposite direction as me, aren't you?"

Though her face remained blank, Rei silently scolded herself for forgetting that Shinji lived to the west of the school while she lived to the east of it. _Why_ was this so difficult?

Fortunately, the First Child had been trained to think on her feet in combat, and that skill transferred over surprisingly well to conversation. "I am going to headquarters," she said. "I…wish to use the pool in the recreational center for physical therapy."

That was actually a good idea, Rei realized at once, since if she exercised strenuously, her altered build would soon cease to be able to arouse suspicion.

"Oh, I see," Shinji said. "Well, in that case, I'd, uh, be glad to walk with you, Ayanami."

"You can call me Rei, Ikari," she said.

"Huh?"

"I said that you can call me Rei," she repeated, wondering how such a simple concept could have confused him.

"Oh! Well then, you can call me Shinji," he replied automatically.

This time Rei did remember to give him a small smile, and to her surprise, she found that it was not something she had to consciously command herself to do, at least, not entirely.

Shinji smiled back, and for a moment, Rei felt the very same sensation of warmth she had experienced after the Fifth Angel had finally been defeated.

Then Shinji bashfully looked away, and the moment was broken. "Well, I guess we should get going," he said.

Rei nodded and the two began their walk. Not far away, a certain goddess watched them, and gave herself some hearty congratulations.

* * *

Shigeru Aoba was having a fairly normal evening as he rode the train toward his apartment. He hadn't gotten to leave work when the schedule said he should have, and he'd have to go in early tomorrow morning, but that was hardly anything new. Indeed, it would have been unusual if he only had to work the hours of a normal shift.

_Guess I'll have to tell the guys that I'm going to miss rehearsals again,_ he thought. _It'll be a miracle if they don't kick me out of the band soon._

The train came to a stop, and Aoba got out and started to walk the few blocks between the station and his home, humming an old Guns 'N Roses song to himself. Just a few more minutes and he'd be home and could finally have some time for himself.

Suddenly, a girl materialized out thin air on the sidewalk in front of him. The started technician let out a yelp of surprise and jumped backwards.

"Hello," the girl said to him in a soft, flat voice, as though she hadn't just caused him to nearly leap out of his skin.

"Uh, hi," Aoba replied slowly, his mind already trying to rationalize what he'd just witnessed.

She couldn't possibly have really just appeared out of nowhere, he told himself. Perhaps he'd just zoned out and hadn't seen her approach, or maybe she'd just darted out of an alleyway so quickly he hadn't seen her do it. Anything was better than believing she'd just materialized from nothing.

He dealt with enough bizarre and generally insane things at NERV. And if Shigeru Aoba had one rule for retaining one's sanity while being employed at such a place, it was that it was always best to keep work at work.

The girl tilted her head slightly. "Do I know you?" she asked him, still in that same soft voice that was barely more than a whisper.

Aoba frowned. "Uh, sorry, but I've never seen you before in my life."

"I see," she replied. "Good evening."

She gave him a small nod and began to walk past him. Before she'd gone more than ten paces, however, Aoba blurted out, "Nice crown, by the way."

The girl turned to look at him again, gave him another small nod, and then continued to walk away.

Aoba shook his head. _This city is _so_ weird,_ he thought tiredly.

Behind him, Rei threw the cloak of darkness over herself, once again vanishing from sight. _Both the tiara and the cloak work,_ she thought in amazement.

* * *

Days passed with events moving fairly normally. Rei walked with Shinji as regularly as their duties allowed, and then usually went to the NERV rec. center to perform at least fifty laps in the pool, preferring the cool, large mass of water to the gym with its smell of sweat.

She received no new visits from Aphrodite or any of the Olympian deities during this time, but that didn't disturb the First Child. She was becoming more at ease around Shinji, and he was likewise loosening up around her, which was enough to satisfy Rei for the moment.

Then, as was wont to happen in the life of an Evangelion pilot, things began to happen.

Rei first became aware of upcoming events during one of her lunches with the Commander. Gendo liked to eat with her at least once a week, though his hectic schedule made it so this often didn't happen.

"How is school, Rei?" Gendo asked her.

"I am doing well in all my classes," she answered. "There are no problems."

Normally, Rei enjoyed these meals together, but now she couldn't help but feel that the Commander was going to ask her why she hadn't told him about Themyscira at any moment now.

"Is there anything going on that I should know?" Gendo asked.

This question would have caused panic to grip Rei, if not for the fact that he asked it every time they ate together, knowing that the First Child wasn't the kind of person who tended to volunteer information.

"No, Commander," she replied.

One of the advantages of being the "quiet one" was that no one ever gets suspicious when you don't say much. Gendo just nodded in response to her curt reply.

"The JSSDF is preparing to unveil the Jet Alone in one week," he said, changing topics. "Their demonstration will fail, of course."

"Yes, sir," Rei replied.

No one had actually briefed her on the plans to sabotage the giant robot that was supposed to replace Evangelion, but Rei had learned of it all the same. Most of the high-ranking personnel in NERV gave Rei as little concern as they would a piece of furniture or a fly on the wall; they never saw any need to censor out any classified material from their speech when were talking to the Commander on account of her.

"Dr. Akagi and Captain Katsuragi will be present for the demonstration," he said. "I myself will be at Tokyo-2, meeting with some government officials."

His face _barely_ expressed it, but Rei was still able to detect his distaste at the prospect of doing this.

"What will be required of me?" she asked.

"Nothing," Gendo answered simply. "I suggest you find some constructive way to use the time."

"Yes, sir," she replied.

They ate in silence for a few more minutes, and Rei expected that no further words would be shared during the meal. However, just as they were finishing up, Gendo turned to look at her with a stare as intense as he'd ever used on the First Child and spoke again.

"Rei, why did you buy a heavy padlock the other day?" he asked.

She felt a stab of anxiety at this chilling reminder of just how closely he had her monitored, and how careful she would need to be if she wanted to keep him from discovering her secret.

Fortunately, not one iota of her surprise and trepidation showed on her face.

"I need it to protect something precious," she told him.

"What?" he demanded.

"The glasses," she responded, making a mental note to place his broken spectacles inside Pandora's box at the earliest opportunity. It was the first time she had ever lied to him, and she wanted to make it a truth as soon as possible.

"I see," he said, his expression softening somewhat, and genuine affection appearing in her usually cold blue eyes.

Rei felt intense guilt and shame sweep over her. This was the man who had created her, sheltered her, and seen to her education. And she was lying to him, keeping silent about how she was associating with beings who worked against him.

She came within a hair's breadth of telling him everything, right then and there. To relieve herself of the heavy secret she carried and to irrevocably throw her lot in with her Commander.

However, she stopped herself, still wanting to further explore her infant relationship with the Third Child further. There would be time, she reassured herself, to tell him everything later, if need be.

* * *

The day of the Jet Alone demonstration dawned bright and sunny, seeming very unlike a day for acts of sabotage to play themselves out. However, Rei barely gave the robot's unveiling a spare thought, and when she saw Miki approaching her after dismissal, she disregarded the JA entirely.

"Ohayo, Ayanami," the girl who was really a goddess said in her usual, cheerful fashion.

"Hello," Rei replied.

"Well, I have to say, you've done well enough so far," Aphrodite said, "but now it's time to move on to Phase Two."

"How many phases are there?" Rei asked.

"My dear, the blooming of an emotion such as love cannot be planned out in a series of phases," Aphrodite lectured.

Rei frowned. The love goddess was pleasant enough, and her advice had proven sound so far, but often, the First Child found that Aphrodite confused her. "But you just said—"

"That you need to move on," Aphrodite interrupted, rubbing her hands together. "All right, your new assignment is to ask Shinji to get ice cream with you."

"Ice cream?"

Aphrodite nodded earnestly. "Have I led you astray yet?"

"No."

"Well, there you go, then!" the love goddess said cheerfully. "Just keep following my instructions, and that boy will be yours soon enough."

"Very well," she said, searching the crowd of students for Shinji.

She soon found the Third Child and then approached him. He visibly perked up when he spotted her coming; he had become accustomed to her accompanying him on his way home. Rei felt a small, pleasant sensation at his positive reaction to her presence.

"Hello, Rei," he greeted.

"Shinji," she replied with a nod and the small smile she always tried to wear when she greeted him.

They then began walking. Since neither of them were what anyone would call a conversationalist, they generally didn't talk very much when they were together. Instead, they usually just enjoyed one another's company in comfortable silence.

However, today that would not be sufficient. As they walked, Rei silently planned out exactly how she was going to propose that they get ice cream to Shinji, not wishing to have a repeat of the near-debacle that had occurred when she'd originally asked to walk with him.

It occurred to her that she had never before worried about how best to say something; in the past, she always just conveyed whatever information she had needed to communicate as directly as possible. Rei couldn't help but wonder idly if these concerns sprang from the nature of what she was doing, or if they were the result of her acting outside of the Commander's wishes.

Deciding this was an irrelevant question, she turned to look at Shinji and opened her mouth to speak...

...only to be cut off by the ringing of his cellular phone.

Blinking, Shinji removed the device from his pocket. He didn't get calls on it often, and when he did, it usually meant that an Angel was on the way. However, if that was the case, then NERV should have called Rei as well.

"Hai, moshi moshi," he said as he answered his phone.

He was silent as the person on the other end of the line spoke, and Rei saw his eyes widen. A thread of worry ran through her. Why would NERV be calling Shinji in today? He had no part in the Commander's plan for dealing with the Jet Alone.

"Yes, I understand," Shinji said after a moment, then turned back to his blue-haired companion. "I have to go, Rei. It's important. I'll see you later. Probably tomorrow."

With that, Shinji turned and began to run in the direction of headquarters. The First Child briefly considered following him but then rejected the idea. There was a high probability that a NERV car would pick him up in minutes, which would put him quite out of her immediate reach and render any pursuit moot.

Deciding to forgo her trip to the NERV recreation center's pool that day, Rei instead headed home, feeling uneasiness churn about in her stomach. Shinji wasn't supposed to have any part in the scheme to discredit the giant robot that the JSSDF had pinned so many of their hopes upon. His unplanned inclusion could be dangerous.

_This is foolish,_ she chided herself. _The Jet Alone is programmed to deactivate before its reactor goes critical. If NERV intends to deploy Unit One against the JA, it is a fight that Evangelion has already won. There is no need for me to do anything._

Her decision thus made, Rei rode the elevator in her building up to her floor and entered her apartment.

"Hello, my dear."

The First Child felt her heartbeat abruptly speed up as she heard a voice where there should be none. The training she'd received upon Themyscira took over, and she immediately got into a battle stance, giving the man who'd entered her apartment a cold glare with her red eyes.

"Now, there's really no need for that," the man said, smiling amicably. "My apologies for invading your home like this, but I never did like taking on the guise of a mortal, so I avoid doing it whenever I can."

Rather than immediately making a reply, Rei silently took in the man who stood in the middle of her tiny home. He was tall, easily over six feet, and was fresh faced and handsome. He wore glittering bronze armor, and a great bow was slung across his back.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Why, I am Apollo," he said, bowing formally. "God of poetry, twin brother of Artemis, and driver of the sun chariot. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear Wonder Girl."

"Why are you here?" Rei asked softly.

If Apollo was at all put off by the lack of niceties being expressed by the First Child, he didn't show it. "Well, you see, I happen to have found out about this Jet…Jet Alone…thing," he said, waving his hands as though the concept of a giant robot confused him.

"Yes," was all Rei said in reply.

"So you know of it, too, then?" Apollo asked.

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you going?" he asked.

The god kept his smile, but it somehow became less pleasant. There was a sort of an… edge to it now, Rei noticed.

The blue-haired Amazon frowned slightly, as it occurred to her that she wouldn't have been able to read his face in such a manner only a few weeks ago. Watching Shinji's face as closely as she had for the past several days had somehow gained her some insight in this manner, she realized.

"There is no need," she replied. "The JA has been sabotaged. Nothing bad will occur."

"Ah, so, you know that for a fact?" Apollo asked, tilting his head slightly. "You are an oracle in addition to being the Wonder Girl?"

"No," Rei answered. "The Commander's plan dictated that the JA should deactivate before any loss of life results from its core melting down."

Apollo nodded. "In other words, you know that nothing bad _should_ happen," he said. "However, it's starting to look as though someone's altering your Commander's plan, doesn't it?"

Rei frowned slightly. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying that you cannot be certain that nothing unpleasant will result from the events of today, unless you yourself go and ensure that," Apollo said firmly. "I am saying that it is not the lot of the Champion of the Amazons to sit back and do nothing, leaving things like this to chance."

"You would have me interfere as the Wonder Girl?" Rei asked.

"Yes," Apollo said simply. "I would."

"Then I will go," Rei said. "I trust that you can see yourself out."

Apollo smiled and vanished with a flash of golden sunlight.

Once he was gone, Rei retrieved the key for the padlock she used to seal Pandora's box. The First Child had hidden it behind her apartment's (barely functional) refrigerator. Section Two would never look there, but with her Amazonian strength, moving the large appliance whenever she needed to was simplicity in itself.

Unlocking Pandora's box, Rei quickly chose her gear, selecting the tiara, the lasso, her gauntlets, her boots, and the magic armor. The armor she picked merely because it seemed unwise to her to venture out as the Wonder Girl in her school uniform; it would allow her to be identified as a student of Tokyo-3 Junior High School, which would narrow the parameters for any search for the Wonder Girl dramatically.

At first, she believed the armor, which she'd never worn before, wouldn't fit her; it seemed far too large. However, when she actually pulled it on, she found that it conformed to her form perfectly, as though it had been specially made for her body. She wasn't sure if her initial estimation of the garment had been off, or if it had magically shrunken as she'd donned it.

A few weeks ago, the latter idea would have struck her as preposterous, but after everything she'd experienced, it seemed almost mundane.

Once the leotard-like armor was on, Rei donned the gauntlets and the tiara, then hung the lasso at her hip.

And just like that, so far as anyone would have been able to tell, Rei Ayanami disappeared, leaving the Wonder Girl in her place.

"Perhaps I should have tested these," she mused as she pulled on her red and white boots.

She should have tested everything, instead of just the cloak and the tiara, but she hadn't expected to venture out as the Wonder Girl so soon.

The Amazon went over to her apartment's lone window, which, like everything else in her dilapidated home, was poorly maintained and partly broken. Opening the thing had once been impossible for her.

However, she was discovering that possessing superhuman strength made a _lot_ of things easier.

After poking her head outside to confirm that there were no Section Two agents watching her window (something that wasn't bloody likely; the men of that particular part of NERV had agreed a long time ago that guarding Pilot Ayanami was easily the most _boring_ duty around, and they had long since grown lax in their performance of it), she carefully climbed on the ledge outside.

The new Wonder Girl did believe that the boots she wore would function as Athena had told her they would, but her faith wasn't _quite_ strong enough for her to leap off the side of the building.

Taking a deep breath, Wonder Girl willed herself to go up…and she did.

The blue haired Amazon couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise as she watched the solid surface of the window ledge slowly grow distant. Despite her expecting this, her subconscious mind had apparently anticipated gravity to retain its firm hold on her.

Wonder Girl's confidence growing as she ascended above her building's roof, she willed the transformed Sandals of Hermes to increase in speed and threw her fist into the air. The Amazon shot up into the air like a bullet fired from a gun, soon approaching the clouds.

* * *

Sitting in the claustrophobically small passenger section of the enormous EVA transport plane, Shinji Ikari felt so jittery and full of nervous anticipation that he could barely sit still as Misato explained her plan for dealing with the rogue Jet Alone robot to him.

Her insane plan for dealing with the JA: The woman intended to board the moving metal colossus with the aid of Unit One, then get inside and turn it off from the inside before its rapidly-overheating _nuclear reactor_ could go critical.

"It's too dangerous!" he burst out as she finished.

"Don't worry," Misato said soothingly. "Your AT Field will protect you from anything the JA can throw at you. Including a nuclear blast."

"I'm talking about you!" Shinji exclaimed. "You can't do this!"

She gave him a small, strange smile, and Shinji found he couldn't quite tell what the emotion behind it was. "I'm afraid I have to," she said calmly. "I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror tomorrow if I didn't."

Shinji didn't know what to say in response, so he just silently regarded his guardian with a mixture of awe, envy, and horror. Awe, because this was probably the bravest thing he'd ever seen anyone do. Envy, because he didn't believe for a second that he had it within himself to do something so courageous. Horror, because what Misato was about to attempt wasn't just brave, or even reckless, but practically suicidal.

_And just yesterday I was thinking that she was just some…some drunken slob who also happened to be the Operations Director,_ he thought guiltily.

"We're approaching the target!" Hyuga called from the cockpit. "You two had better get ready back there."

"Understood," Misato called back, then turned her attention to Shinji. "Well, looks like it's show time. You know the plan?"

He just nodded. The plan was quite simple; understanding it wasn't the problem, it was executing it that worried him.

"All right, then," Misato said, as she put on the orange helmet to the radiation suit she wore. "Let's go."

_This whole thing is crazy,_ he thought to himself as he climbed into Unit One's entry plug.

Certainly, if he had had any say in matters, NERV would undertake significantly fewer impossible tasks. Of course, nobody ever asked him what his opinion was, they just wanted him to the pilot the EVA.

He also had a sneaking suspicion that if he volunteered what he thought, he'd mostly just a get a lot of unpleasant looks in return. So he kept his mouth shut, which seemed to suit everyone just fine.

Shaking his head to clear out these self-pitying thoughts, he gripped the control yokes and silently prayed to any and every deity who would listen that he didn't screw this up.

As the Evangelion activated around him, he became aware of the sensation of a small weight in his right palm. Misato had already taken up position there, ready for him to place her on the JA.

He realized abruptly that he could squash the woman in EVA's fist as easily as if she were made from wet clay, and his task suddenly seemed like an even more awesome responsibility than it had a moment ago.

Fortunately, he wasn't allowed very much time to dwell on this, because Hyuga's voice came over his radio. "Preparing to release Unit One in three…two…one!"

The tremendous clamps that held the violet and green Evangelion attached to the EVA transport all unlocked as one, and gravity reclaimed its hold on the multi-ton engine of war. With some effort, Shinji managed to change Unit One's position as it plummeted toward the earth, so that the titan managed to land on its feet. The force of the impact was enough to generate noticeable tremors in the ground for everywhere within a half-kilometer radius of Unit One.

The Third Child checked to see that Misato was still safely within his EVA's palm, and, after finding this to be the case, he took off running after the Jet Alone. The robot was walking at a steady, unhurried pace, but since each step it took ate up a very significant amount of distance, he had to sprint after it.

"Come on," he muttered to himself through clenched teeth as he reached out with EVA's free hand to grab hold of the JA. "Come on."

Unit One's great fingers brushed the Jet Alone once, twice, then finally found purchase in the form a huge metal bar that was attached to the robot's back for reasons he wasn't even going to bother to guess at.

"Yes," he said softly in triumph.

_Now for the dangerous part,_ he thought grimly.

Holding his breath, and doing his best to keep the struggling robot from squirming about too much, he slowly moved Unit One's right hand, bringing it toward a ladder that was located on the JA's back.

Misato jumped from Unit One's hand to the ladder. She made it look easy, but Shinji felt vaguely ill just watching her pull off such a death-defying stunt.

This must have caused him to momentarily loosen his grip on the machine, since the Jet Alone suddenly jerked, and Misato was nearly flung from the ladder. Both her feet and one hand were thrown off the metal rungs, and Shinji felt his heart leap into his throat.

_She's going to fall,_ he thought with terrible certainty. _She's going to die, and it'll be all my fault._

Then she somehow managed to regain a firm hold on the ladder. Misato even turned to give him a thumbs-up. Shinji let out a sigh of relief.

_I'm going to have a heart attack before I'm old enough to drink,_ he thought ruefully as he watched Misato climb the ladder, open a hatch, and then disappear into the out-of-control robot's innards.

The most dangerous part of the operation was over, but his job wasn't done yet.

For someone inside the Jet Alone, it would feel like a serious earthquake every time that thing took a step. So he had to keep it from taking a step. It was a task that was much easier said than done.

Shinji maneuvered Unit One around the Jet Alone, carefully maintaining his hold on its back until he was right in front of the thing. In one quick motion, he let go and then placed EVA's hands on the JA's "chest," holding it back.

"Damn, it's strong!" he hissed out softly.

It was also tireless and single minded, as robots tended to be, which didn't make his job any easier.

Suddenly, part of the robot's chassis ruptured, and a blast of steam shot out. Reflexively, Shinji moved Unit One's hand to cover the high pressure jet of air.

Right after that was when things started getting surreal. A small window opened up on his HUD, alerting him of a bogey that was rapidly approaching his position. Keeping part of his mind on the task of holding the Jet Alone back, he turned and soon saw a tiny speck rapidly drawing near.

"What is that thing?" he whispered to himself.

With a thought from him, another window opened on his HUD, this one showing a magnified view of the bogey, which wasn't a "thing" at all. Instead it was a blue-haired girl of about his age, wearing a mostly red and blue leotard, along with a small tiara.

And she was flying, without the aid of a plane, or a jetpack, or wings made of bird feathers and wax, or _anything_ that would have made flight even remotely possible.

"I must be dreaming," he said.

"Why do you say that?" Misato replied.

Shinji started in surprise; he'd completely forgotten that he still had an open channel with his guardian.

"There's a girl here," Shinji weakly tried to explain.

"What?!" the Ops Director practically shrieked. "There shouldn't be a civilian within fifty kilometers of here!"

"I don't think she's an ordinary civilian, Misato," Shinji said. "She's…she's flying through the sky like some kind of _superhero_, and she's wearing this really strange getup, and…wow."

The sound of Misato's laughter suddenly filled his entry plug. "Heh, so she's _that_ hot, then?"

"I…I hadn't noticed," Shinji quickly stammered out.

It was a lie, of course. The girl's leotard revealed quite a bit of the her pale, perfect skin, and Shinji couldn't help but notice that she was rather…impressively developed for a teenage girl. However, he felt ashamed of himself for thinking about such a thing in the middle of such a dangerous situation.

That Misato would tease him about it while she was inside an out-of-control, nuclear-powered robot somehow didn't surprise him, though.

The girl rapidly flew closer, and soon he no longer had to magnify the image of the girl to get a good look at her. Turning to gaze directly at Unit One's face, she gave him a small smile that caused his face to redden almost instantly.

_She's so gorgeous,_ he thought, very much despite himself.

Then the girl went to work. She flew in between Unit One's arms and toward the robot. Shinji wasn't exactly sure what she intended to do, and by the time she figured it out, it was too late to warn her.

The girl pressed her palms against the JA's hull, obviously intending to help him in pushing it. However, she immediately pulled her hands back the moment after her palms made contact with the metal.

He wasn't surprised. Thanks to his neural link with EVA, he could feel the heat that the giant robot was putting out even through Unit One's thick gauntlets. Really, the only surprising part was that the girl apparently hadn't felt the heat radiating off the robot.

The Third Child wondered if the mysterious girl would retreat now, and for a moment, it looked like that was what she intended to do. She flew upwards and over the Jet Alone, then went behind it. Then she stopped and grabbed hold of something that was hanging by her hip. Shinji again magnified her image and saw that it looked like it was a lasso made out of golden rope.

The blue haired girl twirled the lasso over her head a few times, then she let it go. The loop fell neatly over one of the metal rods that protruded from the JA's back. She gripped her end of the golden lasso with both hands and then pulled.

To Shinji's utter amazement, he felt his task of keeping the JA becoming easier. The girl's efforts were having a significant effect toward keeping it from walking forward any further.

"No way," he breathed, his mouth hanging open as he stared agog at the girl.

"What is it?" Misato asked.

"It's…it's this girl," he sputtered out, too thunderstruck to speak smoothly. "She's strong. _Really_ strong. Like… like EVA strong!"

"She's on our side, right?" Misato asked.

"Yeah," Shinji confirmed.

"Okay, then, so… whoa!"

The Jet Alone began to tilt backwards alarmingly; the girl must have pulled too hard. Time seemed to slow as he rushed to grab hold of the tumbling robot, but he felt as though he was moving through molasses. Even his thoughts, that which controlled Evangelion, felt sluggish and stupid.

The flying girl obviously realized what she'd done, because now she was pulling upwards on her rope instead of backwards. The Jet Alone's slow, terrible fall came to a stop, and to Shinji's utter amazement, the robot was slowly lifted off the ground, its legs kicking uselessly in the air as it tried to walk.

_No way,_ he thought, completely stunned as he tried to figure out what was the most impossible part of what he was looking at. With the options of the way the lone girl was holding the enormous robot suspended off the ground all by herself, the way she flying, and how the single rope she was using wasn't breaking, it was an impossible choice.

Then the metal rod that the girl had tied her lasso to snapped, the sound of it seeming impossibly loud.

Time sped up again. In fact, it seemed to move beyond normal speed, as though it were making up for the period when it had run so slowly. Unit One made a desperate lunge. The girl abandoned her lasso and dove sharply, obviously intending to try and catch the tumbling mechanical engine of war, but they were both too slow. The Jet Alone crashed to the ground, its legs snapping like toothpicks from the impact, and then the robot fell forward, creating a great cloud of dust as its "face" slammed into the ground. Numerous small components on the exterior were shattered, and the left arm, which it had fallen on top of, was reduced to scrap entirely.

A scream from Misato went rippling through the LCL in Shinji's cockpit, then was replaced with static as her radio transmitter was destroyed.

Moments later, the metals rods in the back of the Jet Alone slowly retracted, and with a loud hiss of hydraulics, the robotic war machine deactivated and went still.

* * *

"Oh no," Wonder Girl whispered in the heavy, seemingly preternatural silence that followed the fall of the Jet Alone.

The blue haired Amazon was a person who had had, to put it nicely, a very unusual upbringing. There were many things that would be obvious to most people that she wouldn't even guess at. However, there was one thing that was extremely obvious to her right now.

This was all wrong. She had come to help, to ensure that nothing bad happened. The last thing she'd wanted was to make the situation _worse_.

She hovered in midair for a few moments as the disaster that this had turned into really sank in. Captain Katsuragi was surely injured from having been thrown around inside the already-hostile environment of the Jet Alone. She might even be dead.

Wonder Girl felt compelled to venture inside the robot and retrieve the woman, to partially set right what she had caused to go so terribly wrong.

Yet she wasn't at all sure that the blessings of the gods would shield her from the high levels of radiation within, which was the reason she hadn't plunged into the robot's interior to begin with. And Captain Katsuragi was a tactician; the Commander could replace her easily.

_But Shinji would be…sad, if she were to die,_ she thought, finding that she strongly wished for that not to happen, let alone for her to be responsible for it.

Making up her mind, Wonder Girl dove down toward the Jet Alone, searching for and quickly locating the same hatch that Katsuragi had used to enter the machine. Amazingly, the woman had sealed the entry way after her, but Wonder Girl wasn't about to let it slow her down. She grabbed hold of it, ignoring the searing pain that shot through her hands, and then ripped it off with a single sharp tug. Tossing the door aside, Wonder Girl looked into the hole she'd created, hesitating momentarily as the perils of what she was about to do hit her again.

Dispelling her anxiety, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs to capacity. While training on Themyscria, she had learned that she could her breath for several minutes at a time. If she could get in and out without inhaling any of the irradiated air within the Jet Alone, she might be all right, even if she wasn't fully immune to radiation.

With this in mind, she plunged inside the Jet Alone.

It was like descending into the bowels of Hell. Red emergency lights were the only things that offered any illumination within the robot's interior, but more importantly, the heat was intense, unlike anything she had ever felt before. Wonder Girl felt like she was being roasted alive, and she knew that the temperature was only the half of it.

There was no time to waste. She took off, making good use of her flying ability to navigate the JA's maintenance corridors, which were only meant to be used when the robot was standing. However, she soon came to an intersection and was forced to stop, unable to determine where she had to go next.

She hovered in the middle of the crossroads. She didn't have the time to search everywhere within the Jet Alone for Katsuragi; her lungs were already starting to register their displeasure, but she didn't know which way to go. And the way she could practically feel her flesh broiling was _not_ helping her think.

_Athena, help me,_ she thought.

All of sudden, either by divine guidance or dumb luck, she spotted a yellow and black radiation symbol on one of the walls, with an arrow pointing down one of the hallways. It had to be indicating the direction of the reactor.

And Captain Katsuragi had gone to the reactor.

Wonder Girl flew down the hallway with the radiation symbol, then continued to follow the same signs down a number of other twists and turns. In mere minutes, she arrived outside the reactor control room, but there was one final obstacle between her and the person she meant to rescue.

Thick doors made of a dark metal had slammed shut over all the entrances to the reactor chambers when the Jet Alone had fallen. It was part of the robot's automatic programming, meant to contain any nuclear fuel spills in the event that the JA was defeated by an Angel.

And now one of these doors was staring Wonder Girl in the face.

The Amazon felt a very unpleasant emotion surge through her. A moment's examination would have revealed to her that it was frustration, but she didn't feel as though she had a moment to spare.

She was about to start assaulting the door with her fists, intent on breaking it down, but before she did, the Wonder Girl spied a large, round switch sticking out of the floor, which was currently a wall. A small picture next to it showed that when it was depressed, the emergency doors would be open, and when it was sticking out, they would be closed.

There was doubtlessly some mechanism in place somewhere that would open up the doors, but Wonder Girl had neither the time nor the inclination to find them. She grabbed hold of the round switch, and again ignoring the pain from the searing heat, she pushed.

With agonizing slowness, the armored door began to slide open. First one inch, then two.

Then her strength failed her, and the switch shot back out the few inches she managed to push it in. Releasing it, Wonder Girl stared at the switch in disbelief.

She wasn't strong enough. _How_ could she not be strong enough? During her training on Themyscira, she had used enormous boulders for weights. She had _shattered_ those same boulders with a few blows from her bare fists. She could mold cold, tempered bronze in her hands as though it were _putty_. Earlier, she had lifted the entire Jet Alone. And yet she couldn't open this door? It was inconceivable.

_One of the symptoms of radiation poisoning is weakness,_ part of her mind whispered.

Wonder Girl's eyes widened. If the radiation was sapping her normally prodigious strength—and she couldn't come up with a better explanation for her failure to open the door—then that obviously meant she wasn't immune to it, and was absorbing it despite the way she was holding her breath. More than ever, she had to get out of the Jet Alone as soon as possible.

But she wasn't leaving without Captain Katsuragi.

Wonder Girl threw her shoulder against the switch. A scream erupted from her throat; the metal felt like a burning coal against the bare skin of her shoulder, but still, she refused to relent. She was nothing if not tenacious in the pursuit of whatever objective she was given, or in this case, set for herself.

Again, the thick door began to slide open, slightly faster than it had before as Wonder Girl put her full weight, and more importantly, every ounce of her strength behind the task. Streams of smoke began to rise where her skin touched the metal of the switch, carrying with it the horrid stench of roasting flesh, but she ignored it. She had both endured and smelled worse in her brief life.

Then her feet slipped. Wonder Girl nearly fell, and the door rapidly began to close again with a deep rumbling noise. She'd had it nearly three quarters of the way open, but by the time she'd regained her balance it was half closed.

_No!_ She thought, quickly ramming her already abused shoulder into the switch, stopping it from emerging any further from the wall.

With a Herculean effort, she applied one final burst of strength and managed to completely depress the switch. She heard something click into place, and suddenly the switch was pinned securely in its current position.

Her whole body felt rubbery after her efforts, but she didn't allow that to slow her down and went rushing into the reactor control room. She soon spied Captain Katsuragi lying on the floor.

Wonder Girl winced as she took in the sight of the woman. The visor of her radiation suit's helmet had shattered, and shards of the orange material that had composed it were scattered everywhere. She was unconscious, and her left arm was bent at an unnatural angle.

"I am sorry," the Amazon whispered as she kneeled down to pick Katsuragi up.

Despite being unconscious, the older woman groaned in pain as Wonder Girl moved her, even though the champion of the gods did so as gently as she could.

The Amazon quickly flew out of the room, heading for the exit to the Jet Alone. She tried not to jostle her passenger around enough to cause her any more pain, but it proved impossible.

* * *

Unit One's batteries had run out not long after Shinji had called Headquarters and told them what had happened. He knew that he should have waited inside EVA until someone came, that it was much safer, especially if the JA's reactor was still overheating, but he couldn't bring himself to sit in the dark entry plug.

So he'd ejected, and now stood on the ground at his Evangelion's feet. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else for him to do now, besides wait for something to happen.

Fortunately, soon something _did_ happen. The girl he'd seen earlier, the one who'd accidentally caused the Jet Alone to fall, came flying out of the robot, and she had someone clad in what looked like a white and purple radiation suit in her arms.

Shinji felt his heart leap, but his sudden swell of good feelings quickly withered and died as they drew near, and he got a closer look at Misato. He didn't know much about medicine, but it didn't take a physician to see that his guardian was hurt, and badly.

"I am sorry," the girl said softly as she gently lay Misato down on the ground between herself and Shinji. "I did not mean for this happen when I came here."

Shinji wasn't quite sure what to say. He knew that she was telling the truth, and he bore no hostilities toward this mysterious superwoman, but he wasn't the person she should be asking forgiveness from. That person was laying on the ground between them, half dead.

"I know you were just trying to help," he said eventually, "but…isn't there anything you can do to help her?"

He saw the girl's strange but beautiful red eyes fill with guilt, and suddenly he couldn't help but feel very grateful that what happened to Misato wasn't his fault. He hated himself for feeling that way, but there it was.

"No, I've done all I can," she said. "NERV is sending people to rescue her, correct?"

"Yes," he said.

"Then they should be here soon," she said. "I must go. Again, I'm very sorry for what happened."

Then she flew off, leaving Shinji with Misato. He watched her as she soared gracefully through the sky, stopping only to retrieve her lasso before she ascended into the clouds and vanished from view. Then the boy kneeled next to his guardian, tears pricking his eyes. He carefully took her hand in both of his.

"Hang on, Misato," he said softly. "Please, hang on."

* * *

Wonder Girl flew back to Tokyo-3 at top speed, quickly making it back to her apartment. Once there, she wasted no time in removing her Amazonian equipment and armor and cramming them back in Pandora's box. Then she went right into her shower and scrubbed herself extensively, doing the best she could to decontaminate herself.

She had not managed to hold her breath the entire time she was inside the Jet Alone, but there was nothing to be done about that now. However, she had no wish to expose others by leaving radioactive particles on her skin.

After quickly putting on her school uniform, Rei headed straight for NERV. Unfortunately, it was the middle of rush hour by this point, and she lacked the ability to fly as the First Child. She was forced to be patient as she waited in lines at the crowded train stations, because she couldn't call the base to ask about Captain Katsuragi or request a NERV car pick her up without arousing undue suspicion.

The whole thing seemed to take an incredible amount of time, but her wristwatch said that only an hour and a half had passed. She considered throwing the thing away, because that surely couldn't be right, but she had more important things to do.

Forcing herself not to run in her haste, Rei made her way to the NERV Medical Ward. Once there, she soon found an inconsolable looking Third Child standing just outside the emergency room.

"Shinji," she spoke softly.

He started and turned around. "Oh, Rei," he said. "What are…?"

"I heard that the mission today did not go well," she said. "That the Operations Director was injured."

"Yeah," he said, looking so devastated that Rei felt guilt assault her all over again, far worse than what she'd experienced when she'd lied to the Commander. "It's bad. She got a dose of radiation that would probably be lethal all by itself, but she was also thrown around inside the JA a lot, too. They don't even know all the injuries she picked up from that yet. They told me she might not live through the night," he added so softly that he was barely audible.

"I am sorry, Shinji," Rei said.

"I was starting to think she was just…some immature, lazy party girl," he said, staring off into space. "Then she went and proved me wrong today, and now it looks like…" he trailed off, unable to say it.

"It is not your fault," Rei said quietly.

_It is mine,_ she thought wretchedly. _It is all my fault._

She remembered when she'd tried to join Unit One in pushing the Jet Alone back. The heat of the robot's hull had hurt her hands, but it wasn't enough to actually burn her flesh. She could have pushed instead of using the lasso to pull it; she had a very high threshold for pain. However, she didn't _like_ pain, so she'd opted to change her method.

Perhaps if she'd endured the pain, Captain Katsuragi would not be sitting at death's doorstep.

"I know it's not my fault," Shinji said, "but—"

He was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. "Please don't let it be an Angel," he muttered tiredly as he retrieved his phone and answered it. "Hai, moshi moshi…yes, I understand. I'll be right there."

He hung up and then turned to Rei. "My father wants to personally debrief me. I have to go," he said, but made no immediate move to leave. Finally, after a brief hesitation, he added, "It was kind of you… to come here and check up on Misato."

Then he gave her a deep bow and began to walk off.

"Shinji," Rei said, causing him to stop and turn back to her. "I could accompany you, if you wish."

Somehow, he managed a weak smile. "My father specifically said he wanted to debrief me alone," Shinji said. "But thank you for the offer. I appreciate it. A lot."

She nodded, and he continued on his course, soon turning a corner and disappearing.

Now alone outside the door to the ER, Rei allowed herself the luxury of a small sigh.

"Something wrong, Pilot Ayanami?" a man's voice asked from behind her.

Starting, Rei whirled around, only to find a man standing behind her. The white lab coat and the stethoscope that hung from his neck clearly marked him as a physician.

However, she almost immediately realized that this was no ordinary doctor. For one thing, he had snuck up on her, something very few people had successfully managed to do, even prior to her transformation into the champion of the gods. Secondly, he looked a bit too young to have earned a medical degree. And most importantly, the air around him seemed to crackle and hum with great power, like high voltage power lines.

"Apollo?" she guessed, speaking in an even softer voice than she usually used.

The "doctor" pressed a finger to his lips, eyes twinkling.

"Let's find some place a bit more private to talk," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.

They moved away from the ER and soon entered an empty exam room. Rei knew that such rooms were among the very few in headquarters which were neither bugged nor monitored by surveillance cameras.

Which made it seem like NERV was actually giving their people's privacy a little respect, until one discovered that the Commander routinely had the MAGI hack into people's medical records at the slightest provocation.

"So," Apollo said after he'd shut the door behind them, "you had your first outing as the Wonder Girl in the world outside Themyscira."

"Yes," Rei agreed, her tone frosty.

"And it didn't end well," Apollo added.

The god in a doctor's clothing didn't seem at all depressed or remorseful. In fact, his demeanor was practically cheerful. This angered her, though Rei didn't know why exactly, since his attitude made little difference to anything.

"Yes," Rei said, then her eyes narrowed as a suspicion struck her. "Did you know that things would happen so badly if I interfered?"

He smirked. "My dear, I am the god of prophecy," he said. "Of course I knew what would come of my meddling!"

Rei's hand clenched into a fist.

"Don't," Apollo warned, his tone far less jovial now. "You might be the Wonder Girl, but I am a _god_. And you're unarmed."

Reluctantly, Rei unclenched her fist. "Why did you tell me to go, if you knew this would happen?"

"Why, my dear, I thought that would be obvious by now," Apollo said. "Tell me, what did you decide to do before I arrived at your apartment?"

"To not interfere," Rei answered.

He nodded. "And then I told you to go, and you did."

"Yes," Rei agreed.

Apollo hesitated, looking in her eyes for some sign of comprehension. When he didn't find it, he shook his head. "You really don't understand, do you?" he asked. "You need to _stop_ just accepting orders all the time and _start_ thinking for yourself."

"But you're a god," Rei said, feeling confused. "Shouldn't I obey the gods?"

Apollo actually rolled his eyes, then said something in ancient Greek that sounded like a curse. "Yes, I'm a god," he said, switching back to Japanese. "But you are a mortal champion. Have you never read the tales of the old heroes? Defying the gods when they feel it is right is what mortal champions _do_."

Rei looked away for a moment. She _hadn't_ read any of the old tales. Between her schoolwork, her duties at NERV, and acclimating to her new powers, Rei had found very little time to read the book Athena had given her.

She turned back to Apollo, a frown on her face. "So, my friend's guardian is to die, in order to teach me something?"

Apollo waved a finger in front of her face. "Now I didn't say that."

Rei's frown deepened. "She is critically injured. She may not survive the night."

Apollo smirked. "My dear, I am not only the god of poetry and prophecy," he said. "I am also the god of medicine. I can easily see to it that the Katsuragi woman makes a miraculous recovery."

Rei's eyes widened slightly. "A complete recovery?" she asked, no longer willing to trust Apollo.

The god nodded. "She will be conscious by tomorrow morning and back on her feet after a week," he said. "In a month, she will be like she would have been if this whole event never occurred."

"Then do it," Rei said firmly.

"Not so fast, my dear," Apollo said, waving his finger again. "Miracles don't come cheap, you know. If you want me to do this, you're going to have to do a little favor for me."

The First Child's eyes narrowed. "Very well."

Apollo laughed. "Didn't even ask me what it was first," he said to himself. "I love young heroes. They've always got so much juice."

Rei cleared her throat. "We have a deal, then?"

"Bargain struck, Ayanami-san," Apollo said. "Your Operations Director will be fine. I swear it upon the River Styx. As for your end of the deal, well, I'll be along to collect soon enough. I promise you that."

"Wait," Rei said as he reached for the doorknob.

"Something else?"

"You can hardly collect your favor from me if I am dead when you return," Rei said. "I have had a large dose of radiation myself. I breathed the air within the Jet Alone."

Apollo laughed again. "There may be hope for you yet, my dear!" he said. "I must applaud your attempt to get two miracles for the price of one, but it's not necessary."

"Why not?" Rei asked.

"Well, let me ask you, have you noticed any symptoms of radiation sickness lately?" Apollo asked. "Any nausea or vomiting? Is your hair falling out?"

"No," Rei answered.

"You heal fast, my dear, and you recover from things normal humans could not," Apollo said. "While the radiation inside that mechanical… thing might have been enough to affect you while you were inside it, it couldn't do you any lasting harm. You probably recovered completely within moments of leaving it. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, there's no need to worry about decontaminating your magical items. They are not so easily tainted."

"I see," Rei said.

"Well, farewell to you, Ayanami," Apollo said, touching the brim of an imaginary hat. "I doubt we'll see one another any time in the near future, but then again, I suspect you're okay with that."

"Entirely," Rei said in a very dry voice.

Not making a reply to that, the god left the examination room and vanished from NERV headquarters.

* * *

Shinji Ikari had endured a lot of truly terrible days in his short and miserable life, and while this one might not be the _worst_ day he'd ever experienced (it was hard to knock the day his mother had died out of the top spot), it was definitely within the top five.

And his father wasn't making it any better.

"Father, I've told you everything I know about the girl, I swear," Shinji said, rubbing his forehead.

He'd felt terrified when he'd first entered his father's cavernous office, but after answering what felt like ten thousand questions, not to mention having endured one of the longest days ever prior to that, he was simply too tired to be afraid anymore.

"You're certain?" Gendo asked, keeping his hands folded in front of his face. "Even the smallest detail could be of critical importance in the future."

"For what?" Shinji asked. "What do you plan to do?"

"I am debriefing you, Pilot Ikari. Not the other way around," Gendo said harshly, causing Shinji to flinch.

"Yes, sir," Shinji said. "But I've told you everything about the incident that I can remember."

"Hmm," Gendo grunted softly, and Shinji somehow thought that his father was skeptical of his claim. "In that case, you are dismissed. If you remember anything else, report it immediately."

"Yes, sir," Shinji replied, then left.

The Commanders waited until he had closed the door after himself to do anything. Once he was gone, Gendo pressed a button on his desk, causing panel to slide open and revealing a holographic projector hidden inside the desk. It switched on and began displaying what little footage they had of the mysterious superwoman.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected," Fuyutski commented, unable to keep the sardonic tone out of his voice.

During his time working at GEHRIN and then NERV, Fuyutski had learned that Gendo Ikari was a man who had a contingency plan in place for _everything_. Seeing the Commander confronted with a situation he never could have planned for brought a certain perverse pleasure to the older man's heart.

Gendo heard the amusement in Fuyutski's voice, but he decided to let it go. "Indeed," was all he said.

"So, what do you intend to do?" Fuyutski asked.

"For now, there's not much to do," Gendo answered. "Except try and gather as much information about this girl as possible."

"Gather information? From where?" Fuyutski asked.

"I do not know," Gendo replied. "Which is why we will have to search everywhere until we find something useful."

"That might not be necessary. After this debacle, that girl may give up the hero business," Fuyutski pointed out.

"I'm not willing to gamble that whatever foolish impulse that led her to do this will pass," Gendo said. "However, for now, the only real action we can take is to cover this up."

"You won't be able to keep SEELE from learning about this," Fuyutski said, surprised that Gendo would even try.

"No," the Commander agreed. "But we can easily keep the public from learning about this. That should keep our options open later, in case we need to take drastic measures."

"If we even can," Fuyutski said as he watched the hologram, which was currently showing the girl lifting the entire Jet Alone by her golden lasso.

* * *

The temple of Apollo on Mount Olympus was truly a wonder to behold, far beyond any edifice that had been built in the god's honor by the hands of man. Golden sunlight filled the place at all hours, and twinkling music came from everywhere and nowhere within the temple.

"APOLLO!"

The shout was so loud that the great structure trembled slightly, as though the marble and gold that composed it were afraid.

Apollo, however, just sighed. "Oh, here it comes," he groaned softy.

"What is the meaning of this?" Athena demanded as she stomped closer to the god.

"Why, the meaning of what, sister?" Apollo asked innocently, turning to face the goddess of wisdom.

"You know what I'm talking about, Apollo," Athena growled. "Why did you interfere with the Wonder Girl?"

"I did it to teach her a lesson," Apollo said levelly.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure the favor you got her to promise you had nothing to do with anything," Athena said sarcastically.

Apollo waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "I'll send her on some quick little quest. Nothing more than make work for someone with the powers of the Wonder Girl."

"Why don't I believe you?" Athena growled.

"Whether you believe me or not is immaterial," Apollo said. "The new Wonder Girl needed to learn that she can't just blindly trust authority."

"And you think I didn't know that?" Athena demanded. "I would have ensured that she learned that, and in a far less brutal manner!"

"The most painful lessons are the best learned," Apollo said. "I didn't think you could be trusted to teach her well enough."

"How dare you!" Athena roared, eyes blazing with divine fire.

Apollo was unimpressed by this display. Ancient mandates that not even they dared to break dictated that the deities of the Greek pantheon were never to clash directly.

"You're attached to the girl. You feel pity for her," he said. "It could prevent you from doing what needs to be done."

"Nonsense," Athena scoffed.

"Really?" he asked. "When you first encountered her, you could have obliterated the girl's mind and rebuilt it into something more appropriate for the role you gave her. Instead, you trusted her to fight for the world, and if Aphrodite hadn't stepped in, she would have thrown the chance to save world away without a second thought."

Athena's eyes narrowed. "Unlike you, I don't reward mortals for their service by hurting them," she said venomously. "Don't interfere with her again, Apollo."

"I had no intention of doing so," Apollo said mildly as she stalked out of her temple, which only made Athena angrier.

* * *

After being released from his father's office, Shinji returned to the NERV Medical Ward to ask about Misato. However, the only thing they could tell him was that his guardian yet drew breath, so he had gone to the waiting room and sat down.

Not long afterwards, he'd discovered that the waiting room was a purgatory where time crawled by, and all the magazines were well over a year old.

"Shinji."

He looked up from an ancient copy of _Popular Mechanics_ and saw Rei looking down at him with her crimson eyes.

"Rei," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to inquire about Captain Katsuragi's status," she said. "Have there been any changes?"

"None yet," Shinji said. "I'm waiting here for news."

"In that case, I will wait with you," Rei said, sitting down in the chair next to his.

"Thank you," Shinji said gratefully. "I know that you never really had a whole lot to do with Misato."

"Captain Katsuragi is strong," Rei said. "I am sure she will recover from this ordeal."

"I wish I had your confidence, Rei." Shinji said.

_I wish I could tell you why I'm so confident,_ Rei thought.

* * *

Eventually, one of the top physicians at NERV Medical came out and told Shinji that Captain Katsuragi's condition had stabilized. Guaranteeing the Third Child that his guardian wasn't going to slip away in the night, the man told the EVA pilots to go home and go to bed.

The two tired Children didn't have the will to argue with the man, so they had left headquarters and headed toward their respective homes. For her part, Rei was soon back at her apartment building. Yawning, the blue haired girl opened her door and walked inside.

Only to find someone waiting for her.

For a moment, Rei thought it was Apollo again and nearly got into an attack stance. However, even in the dim light of the apartment, it was obvious that the figure was _not_ Apollo. Instead, it was Athena.

"Hello, Rei," the goddess greeted her softly. "I am sorry for what happened today. Had I known Apollo was planning such a thing, I would have interfered."

Rei made no reply to this.

"Unfortunately, there's little I can do about it now," Athena said. "You'll just have to perform whatever task Apollo asks of you. To break a promise made to a god is to invite disaster."

"I had expected as much," Rei said softly.

"I _will_ make him pay for this, though," Athena vowed. "I will place a curse upon Apollo's favorite son. I'll change the man into an insect."

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Why?" Athena echoed. "He struck at my champion. I will have my revenge for that by striking at one of his."

Rei frowned in confusion. "What purpose would that serve?" she asked. "No son of Apollo has done anything to me, and if you do that, Apollo might cause me harm in retribution."

Athena sighed. "Perhaps you are right, young one," she said. "We immortals can be very set in our ways."

Silence fell for a long, awkward moment. Finally, Rei spoke up again. "I do not wish for my actions as the Wonder Girl to make things worse again," she said.

"In that case, you might want to further hone your skills on the streets," Athena said. "You could act as the champion of the people, as well as the champion of the gods."

"Perhaps," Rei said, rolling the idea around in her mind.

"Do you… require anything else?" Athena asked after the silence had again stretched out uncomfortably long.

"No," Rei answered. "I just wish to sleep."

"I suppose I cannot blame you," Athena said. "Very well, I will let myself out. Good night, Wonder Girl."

The goddess vanished, and Rei walked over to her bed. The First Child was exhausted, more from the powerful and unpleasant emotions that had rampaged through her than her strenuous activities that day. Not bothering to change out of her school uniform, not even bothering to pull back the sheets, Rei collapsed into her bed and was asleep in seconds.

* * *

Author's Notes: I took no pleasure in giving Rei such a rough time of it this chapter, but I personally believe that Rei really wouldn't take to the whole superhero thing very well at first. She's out of her comfort zone just making her own decisions, let alone swooping in to save the day.

That, and the gods as portrayed in Greek myth were often jerks, who generally didn't care much about the short-lived, insignificant little humans, and I wanted to reflect that here.

I realize that the inside of the JA here was pretty weird, but that thing was strangely designed even in canon. Seriously, the emergency shut down rods had to be pushed _up_ into the reactor, when any sane person would have made it so they could simply be dropped down into it.

Animefan29, I actually knew about Hades having a helm of invisibility rather than a cloak, but I wanted Rei to be able to wear the tiara and the thing that makes her invisible at the same time, so I went with a cloak. All the same, thanks for the info.

Ryousanki, with the powers I've given Rei, I do indeed have to a bondage omake at _some_ point. :)

Gunman, over on Deviant Art, marcoasalazarm has a color picture of Rei in Diana's threads, and she looks just fine in them. And the way the lasso of truth would allow Shinji and Rei to tell each other their feelings is exactly why I don't want to give Rei's lasso that power. It could make it too easy for them.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader. Now for some fun.

* * *

Omakes

Overkill and Ideas

"Let me guess," Kosaya said as he rang up Rei's purchase, "you're upgrading your home security?"

"You could…say that," she replied.

"Ah, in that case, I have a whole range of security devices here, guaranteed to catch anyone who would dare invade your home," Kosaya said, smelling money.

Before Rei could tell him that further items were not necessary, the man had dived behind the counter, popping back up a moment later with an armful of stuff.

"Let's see here…electrified door handle, bear trap, land mine, razor wire," he said as he dumped it all on the counter.

"I have no need for any of that," Rei said. "Is using these things for home security even legal?"

"Of course it's legal, and you really _do_ need it," Kosaya pressed. "Why, I'll bet anyone could just waltz right into your home and—"

Irritable from her lack of sleep, Rei reached out and grabbed a hold of the man's shirt. She then easily lifted the man above her head,

"And?" she asked.

"And then they'd be quickly shown the door!" he exclaimed, panicking. "Put me down, please!"

Rei let him down, then walked out of the store, feeling exhilarated as she never had before. She had completely dominated that man, had him entirely within her power…and it had turned her on.

_I will have to see if I can experience this again in the future,_ she thought, a small smile spreading over her face.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a different part of the city, Shinji suddenly shuddered and began rubbing his wrists and ankles.

_Why do I suddenly feel like I'm going to experience serious rope burns from a golden, magical lasso?_ He wondered.

* * *

Tryouts for Replacement Wonder Girl/Woman, take two

Hippolyta sighed, shaking her head. The girl had shown talent in her training and had applied herself with admirable dedication, but…

"No warrior's spirit in that one," the queen said, shaking her head regretfully. "I only hope she finds some, or we may all be doomed."

_Hmm, I wonder…_

"Hey, I'm really honored you chose me to be the Wonder Woman and everything…" Misato said.

"Well, of course you are," Hippolyta said. "I have trusted you with enormous powers and the fate of the world. It is an honor like no other."

"Um, yeah, I'm sure it is," Misato said, "but, there's a teeny problem here."

"What's that?" Hippolyta asked.

"This magic armor is too small!" Misato exclaimed, her arms crossed over her chest. "Really, I'm about to pop out of the top any second here!"

The Queen of the Amazons glared frostily at Misato, and the purple haired Wonder Woman wilted beneath her gaze.

"I'll see what I can do," Hippolyta said. "In the meantime, I suggest you tolerate this problem like a true Amazon while you train."

With that, she mounted her horse and rode off, leaving the purple haired woman.

"Great," Misato sighed. "Oh well, I guess it could be worse. There are no guys on this island, so I really, I could train naked without having to worry about some pervert ogling me."

All of a sudden, she heard a sneeze from some distance away. Looking around, Misato soon realized that there were a number of Amazons hidden in the brush around her.

"Oh come on!" she exclaimed. "You have to be kidding me! You're all here hoping for a free show?!"

"Hey!" one of the Amazons called back. "We've been on this damn island for thousands of years with no men! Do you really expect that none of us would discover the joys of other women?"

_Damn it, I think I'm trapped in one of Kaji's dirty movies,_ Misato thought.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from the fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Three: **Chaos on the High Seas

A young woman walked along the streets of Tokyo-3. She was a completely ordinary person, lacking any connection to giant robots, Angels, or superhuman abilities. However, she was about to have a rather unusual encounter.

Suddenly, a boy who might have been on the cusp of entering his teens ran past her and grabbed hold of her purse as he did so.

"Thanks, lady!" the boy called cheerfully as he took off.

"Hey! Give that back!" the woman screamed at him.

Laughing, the boy turned his head to look at her. "Sorry, no can do! A guy's gotta eat, after—ooph!"

The boy was cut off as he collided with something and went tumbling to the sidewalk, dazed.

_What the heck was that?_ He wondered.

Whatever roadblock he'd encountered had been as unyielding as a brick wall, and yet it had felt strangely soft and warm…

He looked up and was stunned to see a girl who was a bit older than himself standing over him. If she was what he'd run into, then by all rights he should have knocked her over at the speed he was going; the girl was quite slender.

However, this wasn't the strangest thing. The girl was wearing a strange red and blue leotard, which did little to conceal her curves, which were quite ample for someone of her age.

_Damn, is she nuts?_ He wondered, still feeling rather dumbfounded. _Even in daylight, running around this part of the city dressed like that is bad idea._

Suddenly he heard the sound of running feet from behind him, and he realized that the woman whose purse he'd snatched was right behind him. The boy was jolted back into motion, quickly getting into his feet.

However, before he could take off again, the crazy girl's hand clamped down on his forearm, stopping him. He tried to pull himself free, but her strength was incredible; he might as well have tried to move a mountain.

"You should not take things from others," the girl said calmly, casually relieving him of the purse he carried with her free hand.

The woman he'd taken the bag from arrived a moment later. She came to a stop and hesitated when she saw the strangely clad girl who held the thief.

"I believe this is yours," Wonder Girl said, holding out the purse.

"Yes, thank you," the woman said, accepting her bag slowly.

"Do you wish to press charges against him?" Wonder Girl asked, indicating the purse snatcher. "I could take him to the police for you, if you wish."

The woman considered for a moment. "No," she said, finally shaking her head. "I don't really want the trouble, and besides, he's just stupid and hungry, not really evil. Hopefully this'll teach him a lesson."

"Oh, thanks, lady!" the purse snatcher exclaimed as Wonder Girl released her hold on him.

"If I catch you doing this again, I will not release you," Wonder Girl said.

The blue haired girl's warning was delivered in a flat tone of voice, but the young thief found it to be quite menacing. He swallowed, then without another word, turned and ran off, leaving the Amazon and the woman she'd helped.

"Good-bye," Wonder Girl said at last, then took off into the air, much to the amazement of the other woman.

The Amazon landed lightly on a nearby rooftop, out of sight of the people on the ground. Raising a hand to her brow to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun, she looked out at the city, searching for something else in need of her attention.

This might seem like a rather inefficient method of finding wrong-doings, but the blessing of Artemis had conferred the "eye of the eagle" upon her, and she found it rarely took her much time.

"Wonder Girl."

Surprised, the Amazon jumped and spun around, instantly getting into a defensive stance. However, she quickly relaxed when she saw that it was Athena, her bronze armor shining under the golden rays of the sun.

"Hello," Wonder Girl said.

"You're doing well," Athena said, walking up to her. "Yet, I sense you have questions for me."

Wonder Girl nodded. "I do not understand how doing this is supposed to help me with the important battles," she said. "Stopping crimes is easy. It requires very little of my abilities."

"That's the point," Athena said. "Using all of your strength is simple; judging how much to use when less is required is not. Think of what you're doing here as fine tuning your abilities."

Wonder Girl nodded. "I see."

"Why did you continue to fight crime out here, if you saw no point to it?" Athena asked, fervently hoping that it wasn't because she'd told her to do so. "You've been doing it for days."

The goddess didn't like how Apollo had gone about teaching her champion to think for herself, but since what he'd done could not be undone, she at least hoped that Rei had benefited from the painful experience.

"It was hurting nothing," Wonder Girl answered, "and I trust you enough that I decided to keep fighting crime until I'd had a chance to speak to you."

Athena nodded in approval.

Wonder Girl was about to say something else, but she happened to spot something through the window of a distant building.

"Excuse me," she said. "I must go."

Athena nodded and watched as her champion flew off.

_There may just be hope for us all yet,_ the goddess decided.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier…_

"You ready, man?" Mushani asked his partner Keito.

Keito hesitated for a long moment, long enough for Mushani to fear that he was going to back out. Then he seemed to steel himself and nodded firmly. "Let's do this," he said.

"All right, on three," Mushani said. "One… two… three!"

With that, Mushani delivered a savage kick to the door in front of them, causing it to break open with a loud crack of splintering wood. The two young men then charged into the apartment that lay beyond, each holding an old but still quite serviceable pistol.

It wasn't long before they found the apartment's sole resident, a woman who was in her late seventies or early eighties. She was sitting in an overstuffed but tattered chair. There was a cane propped up against it, and the old woman looked terrified.

"All right, lady, your money or your life!" Mushani demanded.

The old woman didn't immediately respond, and Keito wondered whether she was paralyzed with fear, or if she'd prefer to end it quick and clean right at that moment rather than spend her remaining time languishing in total poverty.

"Come on, lady!" Mushani shouted.

"E-Everything I have left is in a jar on my bedside table," the woman stammered out.

"Where's the bedroom?" Mushani demanded.

The old woman pointed to a short hallway with a shaking, withered hand. "First door on the right," she said. "Please, don't hurt me."

"Keep an eye on her," Mushani ordered Keito, then he quickly made his way to the room that the old woman had indicated.

Keito didn't bother pointing his gun at their victim as he waited through some of the longest, most awkward few seconds of his entire life. The old woman was so utterly terrified by the whole experience that she obviously wasn't going to try anything.

Moments later, Mushani returned from the bedroom holding a large glass jar containing the old lady's yen and a few pieces of jewelry. "Got it," he said.

"Good," Keito said. "Now let's go while the going's good."

"Just a minute," Mushani said, removing a silencer from his pocket and screwing it onto the barrel of his firearm.

"You're not…" Keito breathed, but quickly fell silent with a glare from his partner-in-crime.

"Listen, lady," Mushani said, pointing his gun right at her face. "You're not calling the cops after we leave here. One way or another, you're not calling the cops. The only question is why."

The old woman didn't say anything, staring fearfully up at Mushani with her ancient eyes.

"It's real simple, lady," Mushani said. "You either give me your word that you never report this… or I'll have to shoot you."

"I… I won't tell anyone this happened, ever," the old woman said.

"Do you swear?" Mushani drawled.

"Yes, yes, I swear," the woman said.

"Hmm, you didn't sound very sincere," Mushani said and pulled the trigger.

The bullet left the barrel with a muted sound, then slammed into the chair mere inches from the old lady's head, sending stuffing flying out into the air. The old woman let out a cry of fright.

"You made your point," Keito spoke up. "Can we _go_ now?"

"Yeah," Mushani said. "Let's blow this joint."

The two young men left the apartment. For some reason, Keito tried to shut the door behind them, but it was just too broken. He quickly gave up the task, and he and Mushani casually went to one of the apartment building's stairwells and began to descend, neither in any particular rush. In the bad part of the city, people knew better than to stick their noses where they didn't belong.

"Well," Mushani said. "It's done. The young have fed off the old to continue their existences. Circle of life."

"'Circle of life'?" Keito echoed incredulously.

"Yup," Mushani replied. "The way society here is, it's like an ecosystem where the animals have to regularly perform cannibalism in order to survive. Here in this desolate place, all the virtues of civilization are scraped away and—"

"Have I ever told you that I _hate_ it when you get philosophical?" Keito interrupted.

"Only multiple times," Mushani replied without missing a beat as the two arrived at the front door of the building.

Keito shook his head. "Then why the hell do you…?"

He trailed off, and both of the young delinquents came to a stop at the sight that greeted them outside. Standing before them on the sidewalk was a teenage girl in a red, white, and blue leotard, as well as some weird jewelry.

"Is it Halloween or something?" Mushani wondered aloud.

"No," Keito replied.

"You have taken something that does not belong to you," the girl said, her face and voice both perfectly neutral. "Please return it."

Mushani threw his head back and laughed like a hyena. The blue-haired girl waited patiently for him to finish and answer her.

"And if I don't?" he gasped out eventually as the laughter died down.

"Then I shall be forced to take it back from you," the girl responded.

"It ain't gonna happen, girl," Mushani said, drawing his weapon and leveling it at her.

"Stop it, man!" Keito said. "She's just a kid, and she's nuts. Let her go."

"Nuh-uh," Mushani said. "The chick obviously thinks she can make a difference. Well, I have to dissuade her of that, one way or another. The only question is how."

"Man, don't," Keito said.

Mushani ignored him, his attention focused on the strangely-dressed girl in front of them. "Okay, here's how it's going to go," he said, thumbing back the hammer of his pistol. "Either you go away and promise to never do anything _this_ crazy again, which includes telling the cops about us, or I put a bullet in your skull."

"You may try to do that, but I would not advise it," the girl replied, apparently unafraid.

Mushani smiled. "I'll say this for you, you got guts."

He squeezed the trigger, but this wasn't another one of his dramatic warning shots. This time, he intended to hit his target squarely between the eyes.

Moving with impossible speed, the girl brought her right arm up and blocked the bullet with a bulky bracelet she had on her forearm. There was a loud _plink!_ sound as the slug struck the silvery metal of the thing and ricocheted away.

"…the hell?" Keito breathed.

Mushani didn't bother wondering about how the girl had managed to pull that off. Instead, he pulled the trigger again and again, firing the other four shots that remained in his pistol in rapid succession.

_Plink! Plink! Plink! Plink!_

"Are you finished?" the girl asked.

She would have sounded bored if her tone wasn't so utterly flat.

Mushani hesitated for a moment, shock written plainly all over his features. Then he turned and wordlessly began to sprint away. Keito was too stunned to do anything but stand there and stare dumbly at the unreal scene that was unfolding before him.

The girl in the crazy getup didn't bother to pursue Mushani. Instead, she grabbed hold of a lasso that was hanging at her hip. She twirled it casually in the air for a second before she sent the loop flying with an easy flick of her wrist. The golden lasso went flying through the air, neatly snagging Mushani, who went sprawling to the ground when the girl tugged and brought an abrupt halt to his escape.

The girl then easily pulled the rope she held back, dragging Mushani across the ground until he was at her feet.

"Let go of me, you crazy bitch!" Mushani roared as he struggled to get out of the lasso.

In response, the girl kneeled down, grabbing him by his collar and his belt. Then, to the amazement of both men, she easily hoisted him above her head and then held him there with no visible strain.

"Here is how this is going to go," the blue haired girl said, her voice still strangely devoid of any emotion. "Either you will be quiet, surrender yourself to the police, and never do anything like this again, or I will force you to do all these things."

Mushani just swallowed and said nothing.

"I will take your silence as a sign of agreement," she said, then turned to Keito. "You will return what you stole. Now."

"Uh, yes ma'am," Keito stammered.

* * *

Not long after this incident, the Wonder Girl returned to her apartment, making certain that her cloak was securely around her. There was little risk that Section Two would notice her even if she didn't wear it, but Commander Ikari had always said that there was no excuse for becoming careless.

Once back inside her home, she quickly changed out of her costume and into her school uniform.

It had been several days since the debacle that was the Jet Alone demonstration had played out, and Misato Katsuragi was recovering rapidly, though she had yet to heal enough to return home. Rei had kept her distance from Shinji since the incident, finding herself held back by guilt.

Not allowing any thoughts on this topic to invade her mind at the moment, Rei carefully put her costume and gear away into Pandora's Box, then got the book on Greco-Roman mythology that Athena had given her and began to read.

However, she wasn't at it for very long before there was a knock at her door. Frowning slightly in confusion, Rei put her book down and got up to answer the door.

"Chinese food," said the woman who was standing there, holding a brown paper bag that had the smell of food emanating from it forward.

Rei hadn't ordered Chinese food (in fact, Rei had never ordered takeout in her entire life), but she wasn't terribly puzzled by the woman. The delivery woman had good looks that most supermodels would envy, and an aura of power that the First Child was becoming quite familiar with.

"Hello, Aphrodite," Rei greeted her.

The goddess in disguise smiled. "May I come in?"

Rei nodded and stepped aside, allowing Aphrodite entry. "Nice place you've got here," the love goddess said in a rather dry tone as she shut the door behind her.

The First Child didn't deign to make a response to that. Aphrodite didn't seem to mind.

"Okay, I'm here to give you your new instructions. You are to take this," Aphrodite held up the bag of Chinese food, "and go over to Shinji's apartment with it. You can have dinner together."

"No," Rei said.

Aphrodite blinked, taken aback. "Why ever not?" she asked. "Isn't this the whole reason you've accepted the mantle of Wonder Girl?"

"I am no longer willing to carry out your instructions without knowing what purpose they serve," Rei said.

"Oh, so you want to know the method to my madness?" Aphrodite said. "For a second there, I thought that you were about to do something unreasonable."

Rei actually blinked her red eyes at this. For as long as she could remember, the Commander had always taught her about the need to obey orders without question. She had been expecting Aphrodite to react with considerable displeasure, and she was willing to endure that, because Rei was no longer willing to so easily give the Olympians the benefit of the doubt.

However, the goddess of love didn't seem the least bit put off. She looked around the apartment for a chair to pull up, but, finding none, contented herself with standing.

"It's like this, Rei," Aphrodite said, "your little Shin-chan has low self-esteem and fears intimacy, a tough combination to get past. So what you have to do is approach him until he starts giving credence to what he views as the least likely reason for your attention: that a female is actually interested in him. But you have to do it slowly, gradually, or you'll scare him off. Going and giving him some company in that big, lonely apartment is just another part of that."

Rei hesitated for a moment. That seemed rather…complicated to her, but then, human emotions did have a tendency to be inscrutably complex. She reached out and accepted the bag of food.

"Good luck," Aphrodite said as she waved good-bye to Rei.

* * *

Shinji Ikari had lived a rather lonely life, but one thing he'd always had was someone to cook for. His uncle hadn't liked to cook, so the man had forced his nephew to learn as soon as the boy was old enough to be trusted with the operation of the stove. And though Misato believed herself a good cook, anyone with functioning taste buds could tell that she was wrong, and fortunately, she hadn't protested when Shinji had taken all the culinary duties away from her.

"But now that Misato's stuck at NERV Medical, I guess I'm really alone," Shinji said, "and it simply doesn't seem like it's worth the effort to cook for just myself. I've been eating Misato's instant junk."

When there was no reply, the Third Child glanced to his audience, and the proverbial sweat drop quickly formed on the back of his head. Pen-Pen was lying on the table, a small bubble coming from his beak as he snored softly.

"Even the bird doesn't appreciate my company," Shinji groaned as he got up and began rooting through the cupboards. "Hmm, chicken-flavored or pork-flavored ramen today?"

His decision making was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. The electronic chime startled Pen-Pen, causing him to wake with a great deal of surprised squawking.

"Well, maybe you won't fall asleep when someone's talking to you next time," Shinji chided the bird as he headed for the door.

Pen-Pen just released an indignant "Wark!" and waddled into his fridge.

Shrugging, Shinji pushed the button to open the front door and was surprised to find a familiar blue-haired girl standing before him.

"Rei, what are you doing here?" Shinji blurted out, then, immediately realizing how that sounded, quickly added, "Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything, but, uh, I guess I wouldn't have expected…"

She gave him one of her tiny smiles and Shinji trailed off, somehow feeling that Rei understood what he'd meant to say, or at least, that she wasn't offended.

"It had occurred to me that you might be lonely here, with Captain Katsuragi gone. I brought food if you wish to have dinner with me," Rei said, holding up a brown paper bag that Shinji could easily smell food from.

"Oh, sure," Shinji said, stepping away from the door to allow Rei entry. "This is really nice of you."

Rei just looked away demurely. "I did not know what you liked, so I tried to get a little bit of everything."

"Oh, I'm not very picky," Shinji said. "Here, let me just set the table real quick."

The Third Child went to the cupboard and grabbed plates, glasses, and chopsticks for them. "What would you like to drink?" he asked. "We have water, juice, milk, uh, Yebisu…"

"Water is fine," Rei answered.

"Right," Shinji said, pouring them each a glass.

The two sat down at the table and began to eat, little conversation passing between them at first, which was about par the course for the two of them. Rei was relieved to find a few vegetarian dishes amongst all the other fare.

_This is… pleasant_, Rei thought, with some surprise.

The First Child had never eaten with anyone before, save for her lunches with the Commander, of course. However, those meals she shared with Gendo all had a similar atmosphere to that of a business luncheon or some other equally professional and impersonal meeting. And though she and Shinji currently weren't talking, she found that just his company made her feel not so…

_Alone,_ the word came to her so abruptly that Rei briefly wondered if Aphrodite or one of the other Olympians had placed it there.

Then she dismissed the idea. The Commander often said that it didn't do to worry about shadowy threats, especially not when bigger, more concrete issues were in need of one's attention.

A quiet hiss suddenly sounded from behind Rei, and she turned to see a penguin come waddling out of a refrigerator. The blue haired girl frowned in surprise.

"Smelled food, did you?" Shinji asked the penguin, seeming not the least bit nonplussed by its sudden appearance.

"Wark!" the penguin replied.

Shinji sighed. "Here, you can have my egg rolls."

"Wark!" the water fowl exclaimed.

Rei watched silently as the penguin waddled over to Shinji with surprising speed. The pilot of EVA Unit One handed his egg rolls to the avian, which wasted no time in digging into them.

Surprisingly, the bird had pretty good table manners.

"Shinji," Rei spoke up.

The Third Child looked up at his dinner guest. "Oh, I guess you haven't been introduced yet. Rei, this is Pen-Pen, Misato's pet penguin. Pen-Pen, this is Rei, my friend and fellow EVA pilot."

Rei felt a warm sensation at so easily being called a 'friend' by Shinji. It was not quite as powerful as what she'd felt the night they had destroyed the Fifth Angel, but it was pleasant nonetheless.

"Wark!" Pen-Pen squawked, quite effectively gaining Rei's attention.

The First Child tilted her head slightly, recalling how Artemis had once told her that having the blessing of the goddess of the hunt would grant her considerable affinity with animals. Rei had noticed that even the wildest of horses on Themyscira instantly became obedient and docile when she was around them, but she had never really bothered to develop that ability. After all, she lived in a city; there were few animals there.

Hoping her affinity with animals extended to artic waterfowl, Rei held out a hand. "Hello, Pen-Pen," she said.

The penguin regarded her for a moment, and then it waddled over to her and raised its short wings, looking like a child wanting to be picked up. Rei scooped Pen-Pen up and sat him on her lap, which resulted in contented cooing noises from the bird.

"Wow, I've never seen Pen-Pen take to anyone so fast," Shinji commented. "I had to make him salmon before he started to like me."

"Animals are sometimes drawn to me," Rei said. "Tell me, Shinji, how does Captain Katsuragi fare?"

"She's recovering really quickly," he answered. "The doctors say she should be able to come home soon. They're actually really confused with how she's healing so fast, but I really don't want to question it."

"Some miracles do not warrant investigation," Rei agreed.

Shinji frowned very slightly at that; it just seemed out of character somehow for Rei to speak of miracles. Then he shrugged slightly and continued to eat, allowing himself to simply enjoy having someone sitting across the table from him.

All too soon, the meal was over, and it was time to leave. A lot of teenage boys in Shinji's place would have asked Rei if she wanted to "sleep over" or made some equally-transparent invitation, but it never crossed the Third Child's mind, and he wouldn't have had the nerve even if he had thought of it.

Instead, he walked her to the door, feeling unreasonably awkward.

"Uh, thanks a lot, Rei," he said. "It was really kind of you to do this. You're sure you don't want the leftovers?"

"I am certain," she replied, offering him a small smile. She seemed to be doing that much more frequently of late.

A moment of hesitation followed this, and Rei couldn't shake the strange sense that something was supposed to happen at this moment. However, she was completely clueless as to what it was.

"Well, good night," Shinji said.

"Good night," Rei replied, and then she departed, leaving both of them with the feeling that something had been neglected.

_That was a pleasant experience,_ Rei thought as she left the apartment building and reached the street. _Perhaps I should seek out the company of others during meals more frequently._

* * *

"Do you really expect me to believe this picture's real?" the editor of the Tokyo Tattler asked, staring at the Polaroid in his hand with a skeptical eye.

"I'm telling you, man, it's real," said one of the residents of Tokyo-3's depressed areas. "I saw it. I took the picture with this very camera!"

He waved the camera in question around. The editor was not impressed. "Good grief, where do you put the black powder?"

"Huh?"

"To make the flash, genius," the editor said. "That thing's older than God."

"It still works," the amateur cameraman retorted indignantly. "And the picture's real, I swear it is."

"Hmph," the editor grunted, picking up his phone and dialing an extension. "Get over here," he said curtly before hanging up.

Moments later, one of the Tattler's professional photographers walked up to the editor's desk. "Something I can do for you, chief?"

"Does this look doctored to you?" the editor asked, thrusting the photo at him.

The photographer took the picture and stared at it. It showed a pair of men in ski masks in a car, apparently trying to flee the scene of some crime or another. However, they were getting nowhere fast because the getaway car had rear wheel drive, and a girl in a red-and-blue leotard and tiara was effortlessly holding the back of the automobile up in the air by the bumper.

"Looks legit to me, chief," the photographer said.

"What?!" the editor squawked. "But this is impossible."

The photographer cleared his throat. "Uh, actually, chief, we've been hearing rumors about this girl."

"Why didn't anyone _tell_ me about this?" the editor demanded, looking about ready to blow a gasket.

"Well, at first we thought it was just crazy rumors," the photographer said. "Too crazy even for the Tattler."

The editor glared wordlessly at the photographer for minute, then turned his attention back to the man who'd brought the picture in.

"How much for the negatives?" the editor demanded.

"Ten thousand yen," the man replied.

"That's outrageous!" the editor barked. "I'll give you 2,500."

"Seven thousand," the man countered.

"Five thousand and that's my final offer!" the editor said.

"Fine," the man grumbled, producing the negatives.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the editor said, his voice less than sincere.

One of his reporters happened to pass by, and the editor grabbed his shoulder, pushing the picture right in his face. "I need background information on this girl, and I want it in time for next week's issue!"

The man who'd just sold the picture cleared his throat. "One of the crooks asked the girl who she was," he said. "I can tell you, for a price."

"How much?" the editor asked, having the sneaking suspicion that he already knew.

"Five thousand yen," the man said, smiling smugly.

* * *

"Excuse me, have you seen Rei around recently?" Shinji inquired of Maya when he happened to encounter her in the halls of Central Dogma the next day.

"No," Maya answered, shaking her head, "but I think she's been using the pool a lot lately. Why don't you check there?"

"I will, Maya," Shinji said. "Arigato."

"Oh, it's nothing," Maya said.

Entering the nearest elevator, Shinji pressed the button to take him to the ground floor of the base (if any structure inside the Geofront could be said to _have_ a ground floor, anyway), bound for the recreation center.

He wasn't entirely sure why he was seeking out Rei. Maybe it was because she'd been so nice to him lately, or maybe it was simply because he'd already visited Misato that day, and he had no desire to return to the empty apartment. Whatever the reason, he found himself craving the First Child's company.

Eventually arriving at the base's underused recreation center, Shinji slid his ID card through a reader to open the doors. Why the doors to the place were sealed when it was free to all NERV personnel, and no one but NERV personnel could even get into the base, he had not a clue, but it was one of those things he never even considered questioning.

Walking through the gym, Shinji came to the doors to the pool and walked inside, the humidity and scent of chlorine immediately confirming that he'd reached his destination.

At first, he thought that the place was empty. However, this illusion lasted for only a second or two.

Then he spotted a girl floating lazily beneath the surface of the water at the deep end of the pool. She wasn't moving…and she had blue hair.

He froze, a riot of emotions suddenly gripping his heart. Panic, because there was a girl drowning right in front of him. Horror, because it was someone he knew, someone who was kind to him. Disbelief, because it just seemed unbelievable that fate would strike down Rei _right_ as they were starting to get close, even to him. And, for the barest flicker of an instant, anger, because if Rei got herself killed so shortly after the battle against the Third Angel, then what had he really piloted EVA that first time _for_?

Then, the great swell of emotions that had held him still abruptly sent him into action instead. Without even thinking about the wisdom of what he was about to do, Shinji sprinted along the edge of the pool until he had reached the deep end, and then he leapt into the artificial body of water, still fully dressed.

Cold realization struck him the instant he hit the temperate water. He didn't know how to swim, and his clothing was rapidly starting to weigh him down as it quickly became soaked through.

"Help!" he called as he thrashed wildly, knowing he'd be feeling like the biggest moron on the planet if he wasn't so scared of the situation he'd put himself in. "_Help!_"

Of course, no one answered. The NERV pool was strictly of the "swim at your own risk" variety, which meant no lifeguard, and the gym that lay beyond it was currently deserted. If there was a lifeguard around, he wouldn't have jumped in to begin with, because Rei wouldn't have been in such dire straits.

His head quickly sank below the surface of the water, and it was all he could do to keep himself from inhaling of lungful of the stuff in an attempt to scream again. He could feel his heartbeat speed up, and his terror caused his body to rapidly consume what oxygen remained in his lungs. His chest began to burn and ache in what was seemingly record time.

Shinji might have thought about the irony of someone in his line of work dying in a _swimming pool_, except that the primal fear that had flooded his mind had banished his ability for such complex thoughts.

Then, through the storm of bubbles his foolhardy dive had created, he suddenly saw Rei's face. The First Child looked remarkably placid and even hauntingly beautiful at that moment. It was almost like she was asleep, but the blue tint created by the water gave her a sort of dream-like, almost eerie quality. It was one of the most spellbinding sights he'd ever witnessed, enough so that it actually pushed his terror back to the rear of his mind.

_Rei, I'm so sorry, all I managed to do was get my stupid self killed, too,_ he thought shamefully.

Then, almost as if she was reacting to his thought, Rei's eyes popped open. Their red hue was particularly striking in the bluish world beneath the surface of the pool water.

Shocked, Shinji expelled what little breath remained in his lungs, creating a brief storm of bubbles.

He felt Rei grab his shoulders then, and then they were both heading upwards. In seconds, they had broken the surface of the water, allowing Shinji to inhale a desperate breath.

"Shinji, are you all right?" Rei asked after his panting had subsided somewhat.

The Third Child found himself feeling profoundly, perhaps even absurdly, touched by the question. He'd rather expected Rei's first inquiry to be about why he'd decided to hurl his stupid, less-than-buoyant self into the deep end without so much as bothering to take off his wristwatch first. But no, Rei's foremost concern was if he was all right.

"Just fine, thanks to you," he replied.

"That is good," Rei said. "But why were you in the pool at all?"

"I was… trying to save you," he explained, sheepishly.

"Save me?" Rei asked.

Shinji nodded, suddenly feeling overcome by how _stupid_ the whole thing was. He knew that Rei could swim; she'd mentioned once or twice to him how she was using the pool in some sort of physical therapy regiment. Not only that, but he'd even heard rumors that the coach of the school swim team had once _begged_ Rei to join. And _he_ had tried to save _her_ from the water.

He snickered. "Yes, I was trying to save you."

Rei frowned, perplexed by his sudden burst of humor. "Why?"

"I was trying to save you because—" Shinji got no further than that before he was overwhelmed by guffaws, which soon morphed into laughter that echoed through the mostly empty pool room.

Rei merely kept them afloat and watched him. On the one hand, she was rather concerned that something might indeed be wrong with him. On the other hand, he seemed genuinely overcome by humor, and she had never heard him laugh before. She found it was an enjoyable sound, and it caused a pleasant sort of reaction in her, invoking something she couldn't immediately name.

_Effervescent,_ she decided after a moment of consideration, the word coming to her quite abruptly but feeling entirely appropriate. _Yes, the sound of his laughter makes me feel effervescent._

"I thought you were drowning," Shinji finally managed to force out. "I saw you just sort of floating beneath the water and I," he had to pause in his explanation to laugh a bit more, "I decided to jump in and save you. It didn't occur to me that I _can't swim_ until I hit the water. God, I'm so stupid!"

He allowed himself to break into a fresh peel of laughter at this. Rei admittedly found the juxtaposition of his self-recrimination and his obvious hilarity to be quite confusing and didn't immediately respond.

Eventually, she decided to do what she would if he _weren't_ laughing.

"It was not stupidity, Shinji," she said simply. "You were simply too worried to think logically. I am… touched."

Shinji's laughter immediately terminated and he flushed crimson. "I… I'm sure you would do the same for me, Rei," he stammered.

"Yes," Rei said, affecting a small grin, "but I can _swim_."

Despite how shocked he was to see an inkling of humor from Rei, or perhaps _because_ of it, Shinji threw his head back and burst out laughing all over again.

Smiling, Rei maneuvered the two of them over to the side of pool, and Shinji was able to grab hold of the edge, calming down by now.

"Why were you just floating on the bottom of the pool, anyway?" he asked.

"I was practicing holding my breath," Rei explained, as if this was what everyone commonly did while in a swimming pool.

It wasn't, of course, but Rei had felt compelled to do it by her failure to hold her breath the entire time she was in the Jet Alone. It had turned out not to matter, and she felt it was unlikely that she would ever need to hold her breath for long periods again. However, unlikely wasn't the same thing as impossible, especially considering the trend of coming from the Pacific Ocean that the Angels had shown thus far. So what she had seen as a deficiency in her abilities had nagged at her until she'd gone down to the pool to practice, confident that no one else ever ventured to the base's recreation center during business hours.

"Oh," was all Shinji could say. With a grunt, he lifted himself out of the pool and back onto solid ground. "Well, uh, thanks for the save, Rei. I guess I'd better go and see about drying off."

"Wait a moment," Rei said.

"Yes?"

"It concerns me that you cannot swim," Rei said. "It would be wise for you to learn, in order to prevent any accidents like this in the future."

"Humans aren't mean to float," Shinji said. "Besides, I don't think there's a whole lot of risk of me drowning."

Rei frowned. "You could have drowned today, if I had truly been unconsciousness beneath the water," she pointed out.

"I guess, but—"

"Additionally, we live on an island nation," Rei continued. "The ocean is never very far off, and there are numerous lakes and rivers in this area."

"Well, I guess that's true," Shinji admitted reluctantly.

"Swimming is not difficult," Rei said simply. "I could teach you if you desire."

"Uh, well…" Shinji stammered, not really wanting to do this but not knowing how to decline without being impolite.

"Assuming our duties do not interfere, we should be able to meet here at least twice a week," Rei said. "I can give you your first lesson next Sunday. I suggest you obtain swim trunks."

"Um, right," Shinji agreed.

With a nod, Rei disappeared back beneath the water and started to swim laps. The Third Child allowed himself a small sigh as he left the pool area.

A few minutes later, Rei emerged from the pool. The First Child grabbed a towel and then dried her hair, and when she looked up, she found that she was not alone. One of the chairs by the side of the pool was currently occupied by a blonde woman whose bodacious body was more exposed than concealed by the pink bikini she wore.

"Do you have instructions for me?" Rei asked, not even having to bother asking who the woman was.

"Nope," Aphrodite replied cheerfully, donning a pair of sunglasses and getting up. "Thought I would, but you handled that quite well. Keep this up and you won't need me much longer."

Rei arched an eyebrow at the love goddess. Aphrodite just smiled and departed, leaving Rei to shrug to herself in confusion.

* * *

As it turned out, circumstances kept Shinji from making his first swimming lesson. Misato was released from NERV Medical and was capable of walking with the aid of a wooden cane on Wednesday, and in typical Misato fashion, she dragged Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke off with her on some mysterious helicopter trip on Sunday.

At least, the trip was mysterious to Shinji. Rei knew only too well that they were going off to rendezvous with the UN fleet, which was bringing EVA Unit Two and its pilot to Japan.

Rei also knew that Commander Ikari expected an Angel to attack the fleet. The Commander considered it to be a test of various things, including the authenticity of a certain package that a new agent was supposed to be bringing, and the Second Child's capabilities.

Of course, this scheme of the Commander's would put Shinji in the middle of the first naval battle against an Angel, where there would be only one Evangelion, which would be under the control of the as yet untested Pilot Soryu.

Needless to say, Rei did _not_ approve of the whole affair, and she would have liked nothing more than to have donned the costume and armaments of the Wonder Girl and follow the helicopter to the fleet.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. She was scheduled to perform a memory upload in Terminal Dogma while all this was supposed to take place, and the Wonder Girl couldn't be in one place while Rei Ayanami was in another.

The conundrum had invoked anxiety in Rei like she had never known before, and in her desperation, she had decided to attempt to summon Athena and ask the goddess's assistance.

This in itself presented a problem, since Rei had never actually called the Olympians before. In the past, they had always just appeared entirely of their volition. Fortunately, Rei's studies of ancient mythology had turned up something that she believed would work.

"I offer this sacrifice to Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, patron deity of the ancient city of Athens," Rei said solemnly.

Then she dumped a bowl of noodles on the lit burner of her small stove. There was a loud, angry hiss as the liquid in the dish touched the flames and heated metal and instantly evaporated. Seconds later, gray smoke began to rise up as the noodles blackened and shriveled under the heat.

_Perhaps this was not such a good idea, after all,_ Rei thought, a slight grimace appearing on her face as the smell of burnt starch reached her nostrils.

"What on earth are you doing, Rei Ayanami?"

Rei immediately spun at the sound of the familiar voice, finding the goddess of wisdom standing behind her. "Athena."

"Yes, that is my name," Athena said. "Now, again, what on Earth are you doing, Rei Ayanami?"

"I was attempting to call you," Rei explained, quickly switching off the burner and feeling rather silly. "I had read that it was customary for mortals to make sacrifices to the gods by tossing some of their food into the fire. However, I cannot make a fire within this apartment."

"So you decided to substitute with the stove, instead," Athena said dryly.

Rei's cheeks colored a delicate pink. "Yes."

Athena waved a hand and suddenly the smoke vanished from the apartment, and the blackened noodles disappeared from the stovetop. "The sentiment is appreciated, but this was unnecessary," the goddess said. "Since you are an Amazon, any Olympian you make a plea to will hear it. Of course, whether or not they respond is up to them. Now, why did you wish to summon me so badly?"

"There is to be a battle at sea today," Rei said. "An Angel is probably going to attack the fleet that is bringing Unit Two to Japan, and Shinji is going to be there. I need to go there as Wonder Girl to ensure that he survives the ordeal, but I am scheduled for a procedure at the base today. Please, you must help me somehow."

The First Child said all of this in a rush and was in a state of visible agitation as she did so, pacing back and forth and wringing her hands. At the end of her explanation, Athena reached out and placed her hands on the Amazon's shoulders, bringing her to a halt.

"First, you must calm down," Athena said, "and learn to deal with your fears. You're becoming too emotional."

This was an accusation that Rei had never had lodged at her before, and she blinked dumbly up at the goddess. In retrospect, she realized that she _had_ become emotional; she was worried because Shinji was unknowingly heading into a very dangerous situation, and she was unused to having and controlling such fears. The First Child took a few deep breaths and felt her emotional equilibrium returning to her.

"There must be something you can do," Rei said in a much more level voice.

"There is, but it would be more constructive if you were to find the solution to your problem instead," Athena said.

"What? But there is nothing I can do," Rei said. "You said that I was your champion. Is it not your place to help me, then?"

"Rei, the gods take mortal champions because they need them to do things which they cannot do for themselves," Athena said. "How can you do for us when you cannot do for yourself? It would serve neither of us if I made all your problems vanish with divine power."

"But—"

"Fear not, for I am certain that you have the resources at your disposal that you need to extract yourself from this predicament," Athena said. "You are the Wonder Girl; there is very little that you cannot accomplish when you put your mind to it."

"I do not see how," Rei stated.

"So you must think, and in thinking, grow," Athena said plainly. "Come now, did you believe the goddess of wisdom would tolerate a champion who cannot think independently? Did you believe I declared myself finished with my task of sculpting you into a great hero when Hippolyta completed her task of training you?"

Rei made no response to this.

"You can do this," Athena said. "I have faith in you."

With that said, the goddess departed, leaving through the front door. Rei was not surprised that this mundane exit was followed by her disappearing completely when the First Child followed her outside.

She had to get to NERV and then figure out how she could escape from NERV.

* * *

Prior to each of her data uploads in Terminal Dogma, Rei was subjected to a brief physical examination by Dr. Akagi, which was always performed right by the tube of LCL that the First Child was sealed within during the process.

The First Child's mind raced as she was put through the usual routine, not paying much attention to it, since she didn't have to. Rei had, after all, been through it all countless times, and knew both the procedure and the Dummy Plug Production Facility perfectly. Instead, she focused on the powers she had at her disposal, trying to figure out which of them would get Akagi to release her.

Unfortunately, while Rei would have little trouble actually getting out of the base, the problem was doing so without arousing undue suspicion. None of her great powers would allow her to do that.

And that was when it hit Rei like a lightning bolt. Her powers weren't the key out of this situation. Her in-depth knowledge of this place was.

"Well, everything seems normal, as usual," Akagi noted, taking a step away from Rei and then turning her back to the girl as she began to fill out a sheet on a clipboard.

The First Child used this moment in which Akagi wasn't looking at her to make her move. There was a small control panel next to the tube of LCL in the center of the room that contained numerous switches and other controls. Rei reached out a twisted one of the dials.

"All right," Akagi said after a moment, "let's get this done with."

"Yes, Dr. Akagi," Rei said.

The bottle blonde went over to the control panel Rei had just meddled with, and though the First Child had known that she would do this, fear gripped her heart at the prospect of Akagi realizing she had done something.

However, there were a lot of controls on the panel, and this procedure was as mundane and routine for the scientist as it was for the EVA pilot. Ritsuko noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Or at least, she didn't until her command to drain the tube so Rei could get in without flooding the room was met with an error message.

_Come on,_ Rei thought as Akagi frowned down at the controls, knowing that the first place the woman would look when she figured out why the device had refused her was the dial Rei had manipulated.

Fortunately for Rei, Akagi never got the chance. A loud ominous sound pierced the usually tomb-like silence of the chamber as a long crack formed along the length of the glass tube. Thin streams of LCL began to spurt out from the fissure. Shocked, Akagi looked dumbly up at the broken glass vessel.

Knowing what would come next, Rei exclaimed, "Get down!" and then lunged at Akagi, tackling her to the ground.

The next instant, the tube shattered, sending fragments of glass and LCL spraying everywhere. Rei did her best to cover Dr. Akagi's form with her own nearly-invincible body. The blue-haired girl didn't like the scientist much, but she had no desire to see her seriously hurt, either.

"Are you uninjured?" Rei asked after the explosion had ended.

"I… I think so," Akagi said, clearly more than a little flustered. "Can you get off of me now?"

Rei nodded and got to her feet. Akagi sat up but didn't immediately stand, apparently taking a moment to compose herself. This was about the best thing Rei could have hoped for, and she used the time it gave her to move the dial on the control panel back to its original setting.

Moments later, Akagi was on her feet and was examining the wreckage and the control panel. "The pressure of the LCL must have been raised far, far too high," she said, more to herself than to Rei. "All the settings are right, so it must have been some kind of short or something. Damn, and I just did maintenance on this equipment. I must have missed something or crossed some wires."

"Dr. Akagi," Rei spoke up, "what should I do?"

"Well, there certainly isn't going to be a memory upload today. So if you're all right, go home. If you're not, go to medical ward," Akagi said sourly, already able to envision all the overtime she'd have to endure before the ruined equipment was replaced.

"Yes, Dr. Akagi," Rei said, then, with a slight bow, left the room.

The First Child left Terminal Dogma, heading to the locker room reserved for female pilots, where she took a very quick shower and changed her clothes. She'd rather not have taken the time to do so, but it would look suspicious if she didn't, and she'd taken considerable effort to avoid suspicion.

After finally managing to escape from the base, Rei rushed back to her apartment and donned her Wonder Girl costume, as well as the cloak of invisibility. She didn't want anyone to get curious about how the Amazonian super-heroine had known that there would be a battle at sea.

After one final check to assure herself that her gear was all present, Wonder Girl threw open the window in her apartment and flew off, only hoping that she wasn't too late.

* * *

Shinji found the Second Child… confusing. That was the only word for it.

It wasn't her general belligerence that perplexed him; he had certainly known people like that in the past, though this Asuka Langley Soryu might have been one of most aggressive individuals he'd ever encountered, and was definitely the most aggressive girl. Nor did her rather overzealous defense of her maidenly modesty baffle him really.

But for the life of him, he had _no idea_ why she'd gotten so miffed when Kaji had talked about him earlier, or why she had insisted he come and look at her EVA now.

"I didn't know it was red," Shinji commented as she lifted up a section of the tarp that covered the enormous container where Unit Two rested, mostly because he didn't know what else to say.

"The color's not all that's different," Asuka said, gesturing for him to enter the large cargo ship's container.

Shinji obediently did so, and Asuka skipped across a bridge that was floating in the pool of coolant where Unit Two rested. He followed her halfway across then stood and watched as she ambled onto the red giant's back.

"Units Zero and One were the prototype and test type, respectively," Asuka proclaimed. "The fact that Unit One synchronized with an untrained pilot like you is proof of that. However, Unit Two is a little different. My Unit Two is the world's first real Evangelion! Created for actual combat conditions, it's the final production modeeelllll!"

Her voice shook as the ship quaked under their feet, coming dangerously close to sending her falling off her high perch.

"What was that?" Shinji asked. "An explosion?"

"'That' was an undersea shock wave!" Asuka answered. "And it sounded close!"

They both rushed out to the edge of the deck, gripping the safety railing. About a mile away was an enormous moving plume of water. Both teens watched in shock as it passed through a destroyer, slicing the mighty war ship neatly in two without slowing down.

"What is it?" Asuka asked.

"Angels," Shinji said grimly. "It has to be."

"Angels? You mean a real one?" Asuka asked, fear and anticipation shooting through her in equal measure, causing her skin to break out in goose bumps.

A number of sarcastic replies jumped to the forefront of Shinji's mind, but he squelched them. The Third Child mentally evaluated the situation they were now in. His final assessment was not good.

"This is really bad," he said. "We've got to get back to Misato."

Asuka didn't seem to him. "Now's my chance," she said softly, grinning in a way he found rather frightening. "What are we waiting for, Third Child? Let's move it!"

A few minutes later, the two pilots had each changed into one of Asuka's plug suits (Shinji having donned the red garment only with extreme reluctance), had crammed themselves into Unit Two's plug, and had (after some technical difficulty) activated the beast.

"We've got less than two minutes of power," Shinji said worriedly, eyeing the countdown timer. "We have to get to your cable and do it without falling into the water."

"Then we'll play hopscotch," Asuka said.

Shinji blinked in confusion. "Hopscotch?"

Asuka didn't have time to explain herself to him, if she had even intended to, because the Angel had suddenly made a beeline for the freighter that carried the first production model Evangelion.

"EVA Unit Two, go!" Asuka shouted.

The scarlet titan leapt up from where it had been placed, its mighty legs sending it leaping high into the air, the tarp that had been covering it now wrapped around its form like a cloak. Mere instants after it had left the freighter, the Angel sliced through the vessel, cleanly bisecting it and sending the two broken parts sinking beneath the waves.

Meanwhile, inside Unit Two's entry plug, Shinji was screaming as the red EVA soared through the air, until it finally came to a landing on one of the destroyers in the fleet, causing the ship to rock dangerously. Before Shinji could even attempt to regain his composure, Asuka had sent Unit Two springing off the destroyer and toward another. She used the warships like they were stepping stones on her way to her ultimate goal, the super carrier _Over the Rainbow_.

"Misato, get the power cord onto the flight deck!" Asuka said over the radio.

"You got it, Asuka!" Misato replied, only too pleased with the whole spectacle.

"EVA Unit Two, coming in for a landing!" Asuka announced as one final leap sent the crimson war machine hurtling toward the massive ship.

Shinji gripped the back of Asuka's command chair until his knuckles were white beneath the red material of the plug suit he wore. It was _just_ enough to keep him from being thrown about the plug like marbles in a drier as Unit Two crashed down on the deck of the super carrier, causing it to it tilt wildly back and forth before it stabilized again.

While the Third Child was forcing himself not to throw up into the LCL, the Second was grabbing the power plug that the admiral in command of the fleet had finally agreed to provide.

"Switching to external power," Asuka announced as she deftly connected the umbilical cable to her EVA's back, causing the countdown timer to flash four eights and then wink out. "Switch completed."

"Angel at twelve o'clock," Shinji warned, spying the great plume of water that marked the beast's location rapidly heading toward them.

In response, Asuka commanded Unit Two's left shoulder pylon to open and withdrew her progressive knife, which came to life with a joyful hum, prepared to at last do the very thing it was made for: destroying Angels. Asuka could relate.

"It's enormous," Shinji said as the Angel came closer.

"The bigger they are," Asuka said cheerfully.

Seconds later, the Angel made its move, leaping from the water like some kind of evil, mutated whale. Shinji opened his mouth to scream, but he had no time to do so before its immense, pale bulk had slammed into them, sending Unit Two sprawling and the progressive knife flying out of Unit Two's hand. The weapon fell blade first to the deck and immediately plunged up to the hilt in the deck of the ship. Once again, the vessel rocked tumultuously.

However, Asuka recovered quickly and got Unit Two back on its feet, and Shinji suddenly realized that the whole situation had taken an abrupt turn for the better. The Angel was entirely on the ship, its body taking up nearly all of the great vessel's deck, which meant that the aquatic monster was apparently quite stranded and nearly helpless.

"Lookin' good, Asuka!" Misato cheered them over the radio.

Then, as though the words of encouragement had cursed them, as she moved to get a grip on her enemy Asuka planted one of Unit Two's feet on an aircraft elevator, which immediately buckled beneath the Evangelion's weight. Asuka let out a cry as Unit Two abruptly fell off the deck of the _Rainbow_, bringing the Sixth Angel with it as they plunged back into its element.

"What are we gonna do?" Shinji asked as Unit Two stopped sinking downwards, having expended the slack in its umbilical cable. "The EVA won't work under water."

"Never know until you try," Asuka said, still as confident as ever, despite their dire circumstances.

Shinji decided then that he didn't know if he envied her supreme self-assuredness or pitied her insanity.

* * *

Wonder Girl flew through the air as quickly as she could go, the black cloak whipping about her as the winds pulled at it. She could see the fleet off in the distance, though that was only because the blessing of Artemis had enhanced her senses. She could also see several columns of black smoke that were rising toward the heavens. The battle had already begun.

_If only I had not been delayed in departing,_ she thought, a slight scowl creeping onto her features. _Hopefully I am not too late… and this will not play out as badly as the Jet Alone incident did._

She banished that thought from her mind the instant it dared to intrude. This would not be another disaster; it could not be, because this time, no god would emerge from the shadows and offer to fix things. This time, she and she alone would be responsible if everything went badly because of her.

Suddenly, a single plane flew past her, its engines creating a great roar through the skies. The blue-haired Amazon turned her head to look at it, briefly wondering why a single aircraft would fly away from the battle, then decided that it was irrelevant. The battle was all that mattered.

Wonder Girl somehow managed to increase her speed, and even her eyes began water from the force of the wind. She ignored the discomfort, barely registering it; she had endured much, much worse in her time.

As she drew near, her keen eyes saw that several of the warships present had been reduced to burning wrecks, but there was no sign of either the Angel or the EVA that should be doing battle with it.

_Where is Unit Two?_ She wondered, looking about.

Then she saw it. Coming from the innards of a huge carrier that sat right at the center of the formation was an armored cable that was thicker than a telephone pole. There was no mistaking the umbilical, and that cable went straight down into the water.

Wonder Girl's eyes widened. She knew for a fact that the cargo ship _Othello_ was _not_ carrying the A-type equipment, which the Evangelions needed to be equipped with in order to fight in aquatic battlefields. Unit Two was helpless beneath the waves.

She took a deep breath.

_It is fortunate that I have been practicing,_ she decided as she plunged into the ocean.

The water was icy cold, and she felt her skin break out in goose bumps as she submerged, but she ignored this discomfort as she had ignored so many others in the past, her mind focused on her task. She turned her head left and right as she peered through the water, soon spotting where Unit Two hung limply in the sea. However, the Angel was nowhere to be found.

It was at approximately this point that most people in her position would started imagining that the music from the movie _Jaws_ was playing. The Wonder Girl had no time for such trivial thoughts, however, and in any case, she had never seen that movie. She began to frantically search the waters.

_Be logical about this,_ a voice in her head that sounded strangely like Athena spoke up. _Think of what the Angel might be targeting._

All the Angels wished to reunite with Adam, though they could be fooled into pursuing Lilith. However, Adam was surely on one of the ships, which meant that the Angel shouldn't have submerged itself so far beneath the surface of the water.

_Unless Adam is no longer here,_ she thought, suddenly remembering the plane that had passed by on her way to the fleet. Taking Adam away was the most logical reason for one single plane to evacuate.

So, assuming that the First Angel was no longer in the area, Wonder Girl realized that the only thing which would interest the Sixth Angel was Unit Two.

She turned around to look at the red EVA again, and this time saw the massive, fish-like form of the Sixth Angel bearing down upon it. Her eyes widened, and she took off like a shot, feeling exceedingly grateful that the Sandals of Hermes could propel her through the water nearly as quickly as they moved her through the air.

_Faster,_ she urged to the boots, not at all certain whether she would reach the Angel before the Angel, with its impossibly wicked teeth, reached the helpless form of Unit Two.

The monster opened its jaws, into which a small yacht could have easily navigated, had its skipper been suffering from mental illness. The enormous spikes of enamel that were the beast's teeth got perilously close to Unit Two…

And Wonder Girl's fist smashed into the side of the Angel's head with her Amazonian strength and all the momentum she had so rapidly built up behind it. The Angel released a roar that sent vibrations through the water of the ocean, and it veered off course, away from Unit Two.

* * *

"T-Teeeth!" Asuka screamed as the Angel opened its jaw and prepared to take a bite out of EVA Unit Two.

"It's an Angel," Shinji said softly, and rather unnecessarily, as he got a look at the red sphere located inside the beast's mouth.

Suddenly, a small depression formed in the left side of the Angel's head, as if the thing had been struck by an invisible torpedo or something. The great beast let out a roar that Shinji and Asuka could actually feel from the vibrations it sent through the water, and then it veered off, still howling angrily.

There was a moment of complete silence inside the entry plug.

"What just happened?" Asuka asked finally.

"I… don't know," Shinji answered, equally confused.

* * *

Wonder Girl had diverted the Angel away from Unit Two, but she knew that the battle wasn't over with yet, not by a long shot. She took off in pursuit of the marine Angel, already rapidly trying to device a strategy with which she could slay the beast.

_We are on the battlefield it would choose now,_ she thought. _I must get it onto a dry surface. Perhaps the carrier?_

It was the best idea she could come up with, but executing it would require she both catch the Angel and move its great bulk to a place where it obviously would not wish to go. Wonder Girl only hoped that her strength would be up to the task.

Unfortunately, it was starting to look as though she'd never even get the chance to test her might against the Angel; it was much faster beneath the water than she was and it was steadily pulling away from her.

Just as she was about to cease her pursuit and attempt to formulate a new strategy, the Angel made a wide turn, apparently preparing to make another run at Unit Two. Wonder Girl didn't waste the opportunity this presented her with; she grabbed hold of one of the fins on the Angel's side as it passed her by and pulled, hoping to hoist it out of the water.

Unfortunately, this wasn't what actually happened. Instead, a tear formed where the Angel's fin met the rest of its body, and blue blood began to spill out into the seawater. The Angel's AT Field, which it had not bothered to keep raised now that the warships above were no longer shooting at it, suddenly flared to life, the orange light easily pushing her away. Then it thrashed angrily, and though it might not have been able to see what was hurting it any more than any of the humans present could, that made little difference at the moment. In its undirected fit of rage, the aquatic beast managed to smack Wonder Girl with its rear fin.

The force of the blow was both incredible and inexorable. The only thing that Wonder Girl could have compared it to was being hit by a truck, except that this was much more forceful than that; she could have withstood being hit by a semi with relative ease, while this blow sent her careening wildly through the water, until she had completely lost track of which way was up.

More importantly, the cloak of concealment was completely torn off her frame. Experimentation with the garment on the streets of Tokyo-3 had taught her that she was invisible while wearing the thing regardless of whether or not she was completely covered by it, but now it was entirely off her. She snatched it before it could drift away from her, but the Angel's many crimson eyes were keener than she might have expected, and it had no difficulty spotting the diminutive thing that was clad in bright red and blue: the thing that had dared to hurt it, to try and defer its quest to find the All-Father and destroy the pale shadow of Adam that the lillim had so foolishly constructed.

The Sixth Angel surged toward her. Wonder Girl tried to move out of the way, but it was too fast and too close to her to begin with. The beast's sleek body crashed into her like a battering ram made up of pale, cold flesh, and she felt herself being pushed through the water with incredible speed, powerless to get off what passed for the thing's nose and escape the wild ride.

Then the Angel crashed into the sea floor, which, at this distance from land, was covered by the sunken remains of what had once been one of Japan's coastal cities. The structures of several tall buildings, already crumbling from their years of being underwater, collapsed utterly as the Sixth Angel's bulk crashed into them at high speed. Dimly, through the fog of pain that she was experiencing, Wonder Girl realized this meant that the Angel had been pushing her downwards.

With the force of acceleration no longer pinning her to the Angel's nose, Wonder Girl fell limply downwards, her descent slow thanks to salt water that surrounded her. She was only vaguely aware of the great chunks of rubble that eventually fell on top of her, pinning her to the sea floor.

She realized that her lungs were starting to burn, but at the moment, she found she couldn't care very much.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away and much, much deeper below the surface of the ocean than the desperate battle that was currently playing out, a certain deity stared intently at a mirror that was currently showing an image of the Wonder Girl in dire straits, rather than his own reflection. He stroked his dark beard with one hand while he absently twirled a bronze trident with the other.

"I should have known that Athena's little pet wouldn't be up to task," Poseidon muttered to himself, his tone one of mingled disgust and smug vindication.

With a thought, the image displayed to him in mirror shifted, displaying the Sixth Angel rather than the trapped Amazon. The god of the seas frowned as he took in the ugly beast that dared to defile his realm.

"If the so-called Wonder Girl and the constructs of men are both unable to destroy the abomination, then I shall have to do so," he decided. "This 'Angel' will suffer the wrath of the sea god."

That spoken, Poseidon walked off, deciding that it was time for a few of his faithful servants to make an appearance.

* * *

"What the hell is happening down there?" Misato demanded, keeping her panic in check with only significant effort.

She had little to no idea what the Angel was doing, and if there was one hard and fast rule when it came to tactics, it was that not knowing what your enemy was currently up to was very, very bad.

"We don't know, Misato," Shinji answered, sounding about as baffled as she felt. "The Angel was coming for us, and then it just… backed off. We lost sight of it a couple of minutes ago."

"Damn," she muttered, then turned to the captain of the _Rainbow_. "Can we reel them back in?"

"Not back up onto the deck," the man said. "They'd probably make the ship turn turtle as they were climbing on."

"Damn," Misato muttered, softly enough that no one could hear her, or at least, she hoped they couldn't.

"Excuse me, sirs," the radar officer suddenly spoke up, his tone urgent. "I've got a couple of unidentified contacts heading our way at approximately forty knots. And whatever they are, they're _big_."

"Friends of yours?" the admiral in command of the fleet asked, his voice strangely sardonic and hopeful at the same time.

"It _can't_ be more Angels," Misato said, though she sounded more like she was pleading than anything else, even to her ears.

"Whatever they are, they should be in visual range at any moment," the radar officer said. "They're coming from the west."

Misato turned and strained her eyes as she looked toward the horizon, at first seeing nothing but blue water. However, within moments she had managed to spot a dark shape that was rapidly approaching, and not long after that, the shape grew clearer.

However, the Operations Director fervently wished that it hadn't, because what was approaching them was a creature of nightmares. Most of the thing was above the water, allowing her to see its great, serpentine body, which seemed simply too broad to be possible and was covered in scales of a dull gray-green color. Eventually the body gave way to six snake-like necks, and each of these was crowned by an enormous wolf's head. Every head had the most horrible yellow eyes she'd ever seen and a mouthful of long, serrated teeth.

"What in God's name is that?!" the captain exclaimed.

"It's an Angel," Misato said, her words falling out of her in a panicky rush, her composure severely fractured just from the sight of the new monster. "It has to be. There's no other explanation."

"I don't care _what_ it is!" the admiral declared. "All ships are to fire at will on that thing the second it comes within range!"

The radio man on the bridge quickly relayed the orders, and within seconds, the great guns of the arrayed warships were blazing as they launched their ordnance at the oncoming hostile.

Great balls of orange flame and black smoke bloomed against the monster seconds later, and it let out a cry of agony as it disappeared within the explosions. The admiral triumphantly pumped his fist, feeling savage satisfaction at his fleet having finally accomplished something.

Unfortunately for everyone concerned, his pleasure was rudely shattered when the beast emerged from the flames, looking exceedingly annoyed but otherwise not much worse for the wear. The sea monster changed course slightly, and only then did everyone on the bridge realize that it hadn't quite been heading straight for them before. Unfortunately, what its actual target had been at first was going to remain a mystery forever now.

"Keep firing!" the admiral barked.

Every ship that could get a shot complied, but the abomination shrugged off the second wave of assaults as easily as it had the first. The horrible thing swam up to a Nimitz-class destroyer, which was slightly smaller than it, and suddenly a dozen black tentacles burst from beneath the surface of the waves and wrapped themselves around the ship. The sound of metal groaning filled the air as the hull was torn apart.

However, the beast wasn't done yet. As the sailors that had been aboard the hapless ship quickly attempted to flee, its six heads lunged, each one snatching one of the men within its awful jaws then swallowing them immediately before searching for more prey.

"My god, it may consume the whole crew of the _Arizona_," the captain breathed in horror.

"Hey, guys?" Toji spoke up timidly.

All eyes were suddenly on the jock, causing the normally confident teenager to cringe. Misato realized that she'd forgotten entirely that he and Kensuke were there.

"Didn't that guy say there were _two_ new things coming at us?" Toji forced himself to get out.

Everyone's attention instantly turned away from Toji and toward the radar officer.

"It appears as if the other contact is underwater, sir," he said.

"Underwater?" the admiral said. "Is it going to torpedo us?"

"Somehow, sir, I don't think so," Misato said, her face pale as she looked out.

The admiral immediately followed her line of sight, and his jaw dropped open at what he saw. A great patch of water had begun to spin as an impossibly large whirlpool formed, as if the entire ocean was nothing but a bathtub and someone had pulled the plug at the bottom.

The metaphor was all too apt, the admiral realized seconds later, because the ships in his fleet were rapidly being pulled toward that watery vortex as if they were mere bath toys.

"All ships, evasive actions!" he yelled. "Stay away from that whirlpool!"

"Full power to engines!" the captain ordered. "Hard turn to port! Keep us away from that damned thing!"

The deck plates began to vibrate slightly as the ship's engines came fully to life, and slowly but surely, the _Rainbow_ began to pull away from the whirlpool. However, several of the smaller ships weren't so capable of escape, and they disappeared into the spinning water.

"We've lost the _Fearless _and the _Kentucky_!" the captain reported in dismay.

"Damn it all!" the admiral shouted. "Katsuragi, where is that stupid toy of yours?!"

* * *

"What the hell is happening?!" Asuka practically shrieked, pulling uselessly at her control yokes.

"How should I know?!" Shinji shot back, equally panicked.

After a couple of minutes of dangling motionlessly from its umbilical, Unit Two had started getting pulled by some mysterious force. They were being dragged toward some very large… thing, but neither of them could distinguish any more than that. The churning seawater was filled with bubbles, which obstructed their view too much for either of them to make out any of the details.

"Come on, Unit Two, work! I know you can!" Asuka pleaded with her EVA, but it refused to make more than a few very minor, very sluggish movements.

And then they were staring right into the maw of whatever it was that was drawing them in. Of the thing itself, there still wasn't much to see; the innards of it were all black and completely featureless. From the inside, it appeared to be nothing more than a gigantic black pouch.

However, what they saw was inside it with them stunned the two EVA pilots. Nearly a half a dozen ships, from patrol craft up to destroyers, were trapped within the confines of the mysterious new enemy.

Then the thing's mouth (or whatever it was) closed, plunging them into utter darkness, and for a moment, a heavy silence reigned.

"Ikari," Asuka spoke up, her voice sounding smaller than it had since he'd met her early that day, "did we just get eaten?"

"Uh, maybe," Shinji answered.

The oppressive silence returned after that, but it didn't last for long. A strange bubbling and churning sort of sound began to resound through the water trapped in the belly of the beast.

"What's happening?" Shinji asked, his already considerable level of apprehension rapidly increasing.

"I don't know," Asuka answered, "but if I had to guess, I'd say—"

The Second Child never got to voice her guess, because the mouth of the thing they were inside suddenly opened, and it expelled the contents of its immense stomach in a single incredible blast of force that sent it all flying straight into the air. Shinji and Asuka both screamed as Unit Two went careening into the air, along with god only knew how many hundreds of thousands of gallons of salt water and a half dozen naval ships.

Yet despite all the chaos, Asuka somehow managed to regain something resembling control of her EVA, getting it upright again. The crimson death machine flew higher than the water and the ships, and for a moment, as the EVA reached the apex of its arc, the pilots were afforded a view of the entire watery battlefield and the ocean for several leagues in every direction.

"My god," Shinji breathed as he watched the warships that had been disgorged along with them go crashing into the water at crazy angles, most of them utterly shattering as they hit the water, and all of them creating dangerously large waves.

Asuka swallowed, sternly pushing down the wave of fear she felt at seeing the power her enemies commanded.

"What the hell is that?!" Shinji suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the six-headed horror that was currently dismembering a ship that had escaped the whirlpool.

"Whatever it is, it clearly has to die!" Asuka proclaimed, feeling a bit more certain of herself now that she had an enemy in front of her. "And since the Angel is nowhere to be found…"

"You're not!" Shinji yelped.

"I am!" Asuka confirmed, doing her best to change the course of Unit Two's fall.

She was successful, and Unit Two went falling toward the six-headed monster. "Hey, ugly!" Asuka shouted, switching on her EVA's external speakers. "Pick on someone your own size!"

The fingers of Unit Two's fists knitted together, and Asuka sent her EVA's joined fists downwards in a devastating strike that caught the monster right on the top of one of its heads. There was a sickening crack as the Evangelion put a not insignificant dent in its skull, and the neck holding that head up went limp and fell to the deck.

Then the boots of the red EVA made contact with the besieged ship, causing the deck plates to buckle horribly. Fortunately, no sailors had been there to be flattened by the war machine's feet. Unfortunately, the deck had been clear because the monster had eaten all the men who were unlucky enough to have been on it.

The ship they'd landed on was a heavy cruiser, and it was just capable of bearing Unit Two's weight, though there was no room to maneuver. However, Shinji just knew that Asuka had no plans to make a tactical withdrawal.

"We don't even have the knife anymore," he pointed out.

"Don't need it," Asuka said dismissively as she dodged the snapping jaws of one of their enemy's remaining five heads.

"How are you going to kill this thing without it?" Shinji demanded frantically.

Suddenly, Unit Two's right shoulder pylon opened up, revealing the hidden launcher within. With a thought from Asuka, several wicked metal spikes, each as thick as a tree trunk, burst out and buried themselves into one of the still living heads, killing it instantly.

"Thought I'd start off like that," Asuka said smugly.

"Wha…?" was all Shinji could say. From his perspective, the deadly spikes had just _appeared_ inside the head of the monster.

"It's a scaled-up needle-thrower," Asuka said. "Your EVA doesn't have one."

Shinji just rolled his eyes, silently deciding that enduring all of Asuka's preening would be worth it if she could just get them out of this situation alive.

Grabbing hold of the recently slain head, Unit Two quickly but carefully gripped two of the spikes that were imbedded in it and then pulled. They came out with a horrible squelching sound and with flecks of brain matter on them. Shinji looked away, somehow forcing his already roiling stomach not to discharge his lunch.

"Not the best weapons in the world, but they'll have to do," Asuka decided aloud as she stared down the last four heads.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wonder Girl was struggling beneath the several tons of rock she'd been pinned under, her chest aching with the need for air. Freeing herself should have been a simple enough task for her, but the water pressure pressing down upon her, the abuse she'd taken from the Sixth Angel, and her rapidly-deoxygenating blood were all conspiring to make it exceedingly difficult.

_This outing is going about as well as the Jet Alone incident did._

The thought flitted unbidden through her mind, and her red eyes widened at the prospect. She would _not_ let another such disaster happen again, not when Shinji was right in the middle of it.

Bubbles streamed out through her clenched teeth as she brought forward a great burst of strength that she hadn't realized she had until that moment. Several tons of broken concrete shifted as, with a grunt, the Amazon threw the rubble off of herself.

Finally freed, Wonder Girl began to ascend back toward the surface, pulling the cloak of invisibility onto her frame as she did so. After what felt like an eternity, she broke through the surface of the water and took several desperate gasps of the salty sea air, thinking that nothing had ever been so delicious.

However, she didn't bother to savor the air for long, instead quickly scanning the battlefield. Unit Two was standing atop one of the larger warships, fighting with a multi-headed beast, and it appeared that the scarlet war machine was more than holding its own. Meanwhile, a colossal whirlpool was forming in the middle of the fleet, and the assembled ships were desperately trying to make put some distance between it and them before its pull become irresistible.

_Where in the world did those things come from? And why do they seem familiar? Were they in my book?_ Wonder Girl thought, before deciding that the question was moot. Whatever their origin, they were attacking the Evangelion and the fleet, and she highly doubted that they could be reasoned with; they were enemies.

Still, dangerous as they clearly were, they weren't the Amazon's chief concern. The Sixth Angel was still out there somewhere, and she had to find it; Unit Two might be mobile again, but it was still at a distinct disadvantage, given the battlefield.

_The only thing that the Angel would be drawn to remains the Evangelion,_ she thought, flying a bit closer to the red EVA.

True to form, the towering plume of white water that marked the Angel's location appeared again and began to head straight toward the ship Unit Two was perched upon.

_You will not!_ Wonder Girl thought, flying toward the Angel.

With just a touch of rather understandable reluctance, she plunged beneath the surface of the sea again, in the path of the oncoming Angel. This time, however, she didn't repeat the mistake of grabbing the thing. Instead she took her lasso from its place at her hip, and as the Angel passed her by, she draped the loop over the sea beast's top fin.

The loop was drawn tight and the slack disappeared from her lasso in seconds, thanks to the Angel's great speed. Wonder Girl was expecting this, however, and her grip on the golden rope was like iron. She allowed herself to be pulled along, and soon rose out of the water, something which did not displease her. She braced her feet against the ocean's surface as she was dragged along, her red-and-white boots throwing up small wakes of water in their paths.

It occurred to her that attaching herself to something as powerful and deadly as an Angel and allowing it to pull her along was nothing short of insane. However, the Amazon did not find it within herself to truly care at that moment. For some reason, she found the experience of 'riding the tiger' exhilarating, and a grin that would have quite terrified Gendo Ikari appeared on her face.

However, fun had been the last thing on her mind when she'd employed this tactic, and even now, she didn't lose track of her objective. With a grunt of effort, she pulled the lasso to the right, forcibly changing the Angel's course and diverting it away from Unit Two and the warship it stood upon.

The Sixth Angel roared in anger, and orange light pulsed as it tried to use its AT Field to sever Wonder Girl's lasso. With any other piece of rope in existence, that would have worked, and instantly, but not even an Angel's might could break the Amazon's indestructible lasso. The Angel apparently lacked the brain power or was simply too enraged to thwart her by simply stopping, so for the moment, it was at her mercy. And Wonder Girl knew exactly what she was going to do with it.

With another powerful jerk of her lasso, she changed the course of the Angel again, and this time, she sent it heading straight for the massive whirlpool.

"This should end at least one of you," she said aloud, loosening her lasso from the Angel with a practiced flick of her wrist.

The Angel apparently didn't notice that it had been released, because it kept right on going toward the vortex. Wonder Girl watched as the plume of water rushed right toward the whirlpool. It actually passed the spiraling water, and for a second, the Amazon worried that she had gravelly miscalculated.

Then the Angel suddenly slowed, the plume of water it was throwing up quickly shrinking and then disappearing entirely, but not before the blue haired girl saw it reverse course as it was caught in the whirlpool. The Angel roared as it was pulled in. Seconds later, the whirlpool abruptly ceased to be.

Once again, the Wonder Girl reluctantly plunged beneath the waters so she could see what transpired next. As she'd expected, the source of the whirlpool was some kind of creature, though she had never seen the like of it before; it appeared to be nothing but a huge stomach.

As she watched, the teeth of the Sixth Angel tore a hole through the flesh of the whirlpool monster from the inside, chewing its way to freedom. The Angel had nearly expanded its exit wide enough to escape when the other monster, apparently realizing that it was being torn apart from within, quickly expelled its contents.

Wonder Girl remained underwater for a few seconds to observe the whirlpool monster, which began to sink listlessly deeper into the ocean. Deciding that this was as much confirmation of its defeat as she could hope for, the Amazon headed upwards again, once more in pursuit of the Sixth Angel.

The Angel was currently doing its best impression of a flying fish as it thrashed helplessly in midair.

"Finally got you out of your element for a moment," Wonder Girl noted with satisfaction, grabbing her lasso again.

Knowing that netting the Angel with the golden rope would be nearly impossible from this distance, Wonder Girl flew as close to the sea beast as she dared, then tossed the loop over one of its rear fins. It was a throw a small child could have made, if a small child could have flown into the air and not panicked at the sight of the Angel.

The Amazon's next actions were not dictated by logic, though she wouldn't realize until she reviewed the battle in mind later that emotions drove her. Because, quite simply, she was angry at the Angel. She'd never been angry at them before; they needed to be defeated, and that fact just _was_. This one, however, was the exception. Perhaps it was because her battle with it had been so up close and person, perhaps it was because it had hurt her before, or perhaps it was because the thing was threatening Shinji, who was closer to her than he had been during the previous attacks.

Whatever the cause, the Amazon felt anger rise within her breast as she looked upon its pale form, and her next moves flowed from that.

With a loud grunt of effort, the Wonder Girl pulled hard on her lasso, abruptly sending the Angel falling back toward the sea. The move looked to have caught the sea beast entirely by surprise, and it crashed into the water in a way that invoked a stab of involuntary sympathy in everyone watching who'd ever landed on a body of water in a belly flop.

Not yet satisfied, Wonder Girl flew downwards, plunging back into the water while the Angel was still stunned. With a look of iron determination on her face, she began to pull the Angel down into the depths after her, ignoring its struggles, colossal though they were.

It wasn't long before she was back by the sea floor, and back among the area's sunken city.

_Now it's your turn,_ the Amazon thought.

Gritting her teeth, the champion of the gods gripped her lasso with both hands, raised her arms over her head, and began to twirl, divinely blessed muscles straining to move the great bulk of the Angel through the sea water.

And move it they did. The Angel began to spin around in a wide circle, slowly at first, but with quickly increasing speed. Of course, the sea floor was far from featureless, and the Angel's body went crashing into numerous buildings as it went, causing the old structures to collapse against it.

_How do you like it?_ Wonder Girl thought as she continued to increase the speed of her twirling, causing the Angel to hit the various obstacles in its path with greater and greater force.

Judging from its angry roars, the Angel didn't like being used as her personal wrecking ball as she leveled the undersea city one bit, and the Amazon felt considerable satisfaction at putting her enemy through such a similar ordeal as the one she had endured at its hand earlier.

Then, the loop of her lasso slipped off the Angel's fin, catching Wonder Girl entirely by surprise. She felt the absence of its weight on the end of her rope immediately, and she might have gone tumbling to the ground if she hadn't been underwater.

Wonder Girl found herself struck by the deceptive tranquility that followed next. She could hear nothing, and the Angel was nowhere in this sight. This latter issue wasn't exactly a surprise, considering that she had kicked up a huge cloud of dust and dirt by spinning the Angel through several blocks of city as she had.

In this brief moment of quiet, logic and reason abruptly reasserted themselves, and the Amazon wondered what had come over her. She had spent so much of the battle trying to figure out how to get the Angel out of its element, and the moment she had done so, she'd thrown it back into the water.

_I will need to think on this later,_ she decided.

Suddenly, the Angel materialized from the cloud of gloom as it drew near, its teeth somehow glistening despite the lack of light. Fortunately, Wonder Girl had half expected it to hone in on her, and she nimbly avoided its snapping jaws, then went surging back toward the surface.

_I must not forget my objective again,_ she thought as she went upwards, able to stay only about a hundred feet away from the Angel's deadly jaws.

Indeed, while sending it hurling through numerous small skyscrapers had been surprisingly enjoyable, she had only managed to enrage the Angel by doing so. However, she suspected that the creature's blind fury was something she could use against it.

Seconds later, she broke the surface of the water again and kept going up, soaring into the air. However, the Angel didn't quit its pursuit of her, and it leapt out of the water after her.

_Perfect,_ she thought, adjusting her course slightly.

The Angel followed suit as it went after her, its fangs always seeming to be just out of reach of the its tiny but infuriating foe. However, it wasn't long before it was confronted with two very important facts.

Wonder Girl could fly. It could not.

Gravity reclaimed its hold on the Angel, and it went falling back down. However, it didn't splash back into the water as it had probably intended. Instead, its vast bulk came crashing down once again on the deck of the _Over the Rainbow._

The force it landed with was nothing short of immense, and the ship sank frighteningly deep into the water, until the Amazon was terrified that her actions would cause the great vessel to capsize.

Then the ship's buoyancy reasserted itself. It popped up and went tilting violently back and forth. The Angel, displeased about being trapped there a second time, struggled wildly, threatening to turn the ship over.

Wonder Girl flew forward and gripped the side of the mighty super carrier, doing her best to stabilize it in spite of the Sixth's Angel's actions. She managed to decrease the rocking of the vessel somewhat, but the ship was far from out of danger yet.

"EVA Unit Two, incoming!" a female voice suddenly blasted through the air.

Between that, and the shadow that briefly passed over the Wonder Girl, she knew what was coming next. The first production model Evangelion crashed down onto the _Rainbow_, further damaging the already ruined deck and sending the ship into convolutions once more.

"Hurry, Pilot Soryu," Wonder Girl quietly pleaded through clenched teeth. "I am unsure how long I can keep this stable."

* * *

"We have to kill this thing, _now_," Shinji said as Asuka managed to regain Unit Two's balance on the deck of the _Rainbow_.

The Angel and its friends had killed goodness only knew how many people that day. And, though Shinji would have been reluctant to admit it, especially to his new comrade in arms, he wasn't sure how much more chaos his heart (or his stomach, for that matter) could withstand that day.

"No argument here, Third," Asuka replied as she retrieved her progressive knife, which was still buried within the metal of the ship.

"The core's inside of it," Shinji said.

"I know that. I looked down its gullet before just like you did," she grumbled, then turned her attention back to the Angel. "Hey, Moby Dick, say 'ah'!"

With that, she plunged her progressive knife into the thing's lower jaw. The Angel responded by shrieking in pain, which had the convenient side-effect of forcing it to open its mouth wide open.

"Close enough!" Asuka proclaimed, and sent Unit Two nimbly hopping over the lower rows of teeth in the Angel's mouth and inside its body.

They were nearly at the core when the Angel seemed to realized that it was being invaded and tried to clamp its jaw shut. Asuka immediately raised Unit Two's arms, holding the top of the thing's mouth away from her.

"Would you destroy the core before it kills us?" Shinji asked, panic clear in his voice.

"I can't!" Asuka snapped through gritted teeth, pulling on the control yokes with all her might. "I need both of EVA's arms to keep this thing from crushing us!"

Shinji's first impulse was to tell Asuka to kick the core, but that quickly passed. If the core of this Angel was as tough as the Third's and the Fourth's, then it would take more than a few sharp jabs from Unit Two's boot to get the job done.

Instead, he reached out, placing both of his hands over her left one.

"What are you doing?!" she snapped.

"Helping," Shinji replied. "With me focusing everything on Unit Two's left arm, it should be able to keep the Angel's mouth open by itself. Now attack the core!"

Asuka exhaled noisily (an impressive feat when immersed in LCL), and Shinji could tell she was annoyed. However, the German didn't argue. Instead, she took Unit Two's right hand off the top of the Angel's mouth, gracefully adjusting her grip on the knife.

Shinji felt a sudden pressure on his mind, and he knew it was the press of the Sixth Angel. He also knew that if he buckled under the strain, he and Asuka would probably both die.

"Hurry!" he said.

"Like I was planning on taking my time!" Asuka shot back, plunging her knife into the ruby sphere that the Angel had so cleverly hidden inside its belly.

A shower of sparks shot out from where she'd impaled the beast, and the Angel suddenly redoubled its efforts, thrashing about more fiercely than ever and doing its very best to crunch down on the Evangelion inside it, possessed by the strength that came only while enduring a mortal assault.

"Ahhhh!" Shinji screamed as he felt his mind, which was entirely focused on Unit Two's suddenly shaky left arm, threaten to crumple like tin foil.

"DIE!" Asuka roared at the Angel.

_I mustn't give up! I mustn't give up! I mustn't give up!_ The Third Child thought, clinging to his mantra as though it was rope and he was a drowning man.

_Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, DIE!_ The Second Child thought as she dug her knife deeper and deeper into the core of the Angel.

_Hurry, please hurry,_ the First Child thought desperately as the task of keeping the _Rainbow_ afloat taxed even her abilities to the limit.

_Come on, you two,_ the Operations Director thought as she watched from the bridge. _You can do this, I know you can. And don't die!_

Then, the sparks coming from the core abruptly ceased, and the Angel's violent movements came to a sudden halt. Its body slumped pitifully.

The Sixth Angel was dead, and the battle at sea was over. The day was won.

* * *

Outside, Wonder Girl finally allowed herself to release the side of the _Rainbow,_ rolling her sore shoulders as she did so. The Amazon sincerely hoped that her healing abilities would repair her torn and strained muscles soon, but even if they did not, it would not diminish what had happened that day.

She had won, answering her earlier failure with a difficult but great success. Feeling her confidence surge, the Amazon allowed a smile to spread over her face, then began to fly off in the direction of Tokyo-3.

When Wonder Girl returned to her apartment later that day, she was not entirely surprised to find that she was not alone in her home.

"Athena," she greeted the goddess with a respectful nod of her head. "Why have you come here?"

"Mostly to congratulate you on your performance today," Athena said. "It was well done. I have little doubt that you will be more than able to deal with the task I have charged you with, when the time comes."

The blue haired girl smiled, feeling a warm sensation in her chest. It was quite unlike what Shinji would sometimes cause her to experience, but still pleasant.

"Also, I wished to tell you that I would be having words with Poseidon," Athena added with a scowl. "Sending Scylla and Charybdis to that battle in hopes they would slay the Angel was nothing short of idiotic."

"Scylla and Charybdis," Wonder Girl echoed as she suddenly remembered reading about the two monsters, which had attacked the hero Odysseus on his voyage home from Troy.

Athena nodded. "Unfortunately, there is another reason I came here," she said. "It would seem that you were seen."

"What?" Wonder Girl gasped.

The goddess reached into a pocket and produced a cellular phone, which looked more than a little strange in her hand, considering that she was wearing ancient Greek armor. However, this didn't concern the blue haired girl. Only the picture displayed on the device's small screen did.

The picture showed her as she emerged from the water, the Angel and its snapping jaws right behind her. The black cloak was draped loosely over her form, but it hadn't done a thing to conceal her at that moment.

"This picture was taken by one of the sailors in the fleet," Athena explained. "He's already sent it to several of his friends, many of whom are currently sending it to several of _their_ friends."

"But how?" Wonder Girl asked.

"I do not know," Athena said.

"I will be discovered," the Amazon said, gripped by a terrible certainty. "Commander Ikari will realize it is me and will have me replaced."

Athena shook her head. "The tiara's magic did not fail," she said. "Your face can be seen on this picture, and everyone who looks at it will believe that it is not you. This was not desirable, but it is not cataclysmic, either."

"I… yes, I suppose you are correct," Wonder Girl said.

Athena nodded. "I would suggest you not depend heavily on that cloak any longer, though," she said. "In any case, I shall take my leave now. I'm sure you wish to rest after that battle."

"Yes," Wonder Girl said, still quietly reeling from the shock.

* * *

Meanwhile, far removed from both the battle and the ocean, a god sat upon a lavish throne that was studded with gemstones. Before him floated a great shard of crystal, and the image of the tail end of the battle was displayed on its largest facet.

"Unbelievable," he muttered to himself. "It looks as though there might be something to Athena's champion after all."

He got to his feet and began to pace back and forth across his throne room. This would not do. After Wonder Girl's disastrous first outing, he'd felt certain that he needed to do nothing but sit back and watch. However, the Amazon was proving herself to be not nearly as hopeless as he'd expected.

"This will not do," he declared to himself. "It is time to take more pro-active measures."

He would have to get in touch with his mortal son.

* * *

Author's Notes: Whew, this was a big one. I really wanted the battle at sea to be really chaotic and awesome. I'm not sure that I've succeeded, but I gave it my best shot.

By the way, as I'm sure you've all guessed from that last bit, a new villain is on the way. He's an OC, so don't bother guessing which figure from Wonder Woman's enemies I'm pulling in. I'm using an OC because, well, let's face it, Diana's rogues tend to vary from the fantastically lame (Silver Swan) to the arguably offensive (Egg-Fu). So I thought I'd imagine up a little new blood.

Anyway, let me keep the note relatively short for once. Thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader.

* * *

Omakes!

Rejected Heroes (bonus edition)

One would think that floating in the middle of a great war fleet that was engaging a sea monster would be a bad idea. One would generally be right, but when the author happened to be in the boat, it was a fairly safe bet that nothing would happen to it.

"This is wrong on so many levels," Asuka growled to the boat's other occupant.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Asuka?" Mike asked innocently.

"This is my damned debut!" Asuka shouted. "I should be out there in Unit Two, not here, in these goofy 'super' hero duds."

"There is nothing goofy about that costume at all," Mike lied, doing his best to keep a straight face.

"And let's get real here," Asuka continued, "you _never_ considered making me this superhero! It would be an incredibly lame and crazy idea! Besides, it would never work outside of this battle."

"That's not true," the author said, though he looked like he was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

"And why is _she_ here?" Asuka growled, pointing at the blue haired girl who was hovering just outside the boat and watching the whole exchange.

"I am finding this enormously entertaining," Wonder Girl informed her, munching on a handful of popcorn. "And this omake is in my story, so I really don't see how you can keep me out of it."

Asuka's eye twitched. "Where did you get that snack from?"

"Plot hole," Wonder Girl answered nonchalantly.

Asuka turned back to the author. "This is because I tried to attack you after you forced that red lantern ring on me in that other omake, isn't it?"

"Maybe," the author replied. "Now get in the damn water."

Asuka sighed. "I will get you for this," she vowed.

The threat might have been more effective if she didn't look rather absurd in the orange fish-scale shirt and bright green pants she was currently wearing. As if realizing this, Asuka just sighed and jumped off the side of the boat into the water.

"Godspeed, Aqua Girl," Wonder Girl said with a smirk.

* * *

Rei + Beer = ?

"It had occurred to me that you might be lonely here, with Captain Katsuragi gone. I brought food if you wish to have dinner with me," Rei said, holding up a brown paper bag that Shinji could easily smell food from.

"Oh, sure," Shinji said, stepping away from the door to allow Rei entry. "This is really nice of you."

Rei just looked away demurely. "I did not know what you liked, so I tried to get a little bit of everything."

"Oh, I'm not very picky," Shinji said. "Here, let me just set the table real quick."

The Third Child went to the cupboard and grabbed plates, glasses, and chopsticks for them. "What would you like to drink?" he asked. "We have water, juice, milk, uh, Yebisu…"

"Yebisu will be fine," Rei spoke up.

Shinji blinked in surprise. He had really just been joking when he'd said that. However, he didn't have it in him to deny Rei something he _had_ just offered her, so he reluctantly handed her the can of beer.

_What's the worst that could happen?_ He thought.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

"And then the crazy Amazon queen trained me for a long time, and they shot arrows at me, but I deflected them! I deflected them all!" Rei proclaimed in a proud, drunken slur. "And do you know why?"

"Because you're Wonder Girl," Shinji said tiredly.

"Because I'm Wonder Girl!" Rei proclaimed, flexing her biceps. "And nobody screws with the Wonder Girl!"

"Uh huh," Shinji said with a yawn.

The Third Child had no _idea_ where all of this had come from, but he wished it would stop. It had been kind of funny when Rei had first started getting drunk and talking nonsense, but now it was just tiring. Honestly, Rei's crazy tales were probably too silly to even be a _comic book_…

"I like you, kid," Rei said. "You get me."

That said, she cracked _another_ can of Misato's beer and downed it with a speed that even Shinji's purple haired guardian would have found impressive. Part of the Third Child hoped that it would cause her to pass out so he could put her to bed and put this whole ordeal behind him, but he had no such luck. Rei remained quite conscious, and suddenly she was looking at him in a way that made him rather uncomfortable.

"Ya know, Shin-chan, you're looking particularly yummy tonight," she declared.

Shinji managed to sweat drop and blush at the same time. "What?"

"I think it's obligatory bondage time!" Rei proclaimed cheerfully.

"_What?!_" he squawked.

Rather than waste time trying to explain, she lunged at him. Panicked, Shinji tried to escape, but he was no match for Rei, even a seriously drunk Rei. The blue haired girl had soon thrown him over her shoulder and went staggering off in search of a bedroom.

"My god," Shinji groaned as he tried to escape, but to no avail. "What does my father feed you? Steroids?"

Rei laughed uproariously at this. "I already told you, Shin-chan…_I'm the Wonder Girl!_"

He gulped. "Please be gentle, Wonder Girl," he pleaded as she found her way into Misato's room.

* * *

Swim Class

Shinji took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself as he stood at the edge of the pool, clad only in his blue swim trunks. It didn't help me.

_Stop freaking out,_ he commanded himself. _Okay, it's water, and water's scary, but you'll be with Rei, and Rei's not scary._

The blue haired girl in question chose that moment to emerge from the lady's locker rooms, a robe still over her form.

"Hello, Shinji," she greeted. "Ready for your first swimming lesson?"

Summoning up all the courage he could, Shinji nodded.

"Good," Rei said, then unfastened the robe's belt and let it fall to the floor.

Shinji's eyes bugged out when he saw what Rei had on. The First Child was clad in a black one piece swim suit, but it had been specially altered to make it look like something that someone who was heavily into S&M would wear. A riding crop that she must have been hiding in her sleeve was clutched in her hand.

"Here's how this is going to work my student," Rei said, and suddenly there was a rather wicked gleam in her red eyes. "Whenever you do well, you get rewarded."

She placed the free hand on the top of his head and forced him to tilt his head downwards until his gaze was resting upon her chest.

"But whenever you do poorly," she continued, twirling the riding crop in her fingers, "you get _punished._ Understand?"

Shinji just nodded meekly.

"Good," Rei said. "Now let's begin!"

With that, she placed a hand on his chest and pushed hard, sending him falling backwards into the pool. He let out a cry, and—

* * *

—woke up with a gasp, finding himself covered in sweat.

"Just a dream," he told himself. "Just a dream."

His recitation of his new mantra was soon disturbed when someone next to him stirred.

"Shinji?" Rei muttered, still half asleep. "What is it?"

"J-Just a bad dream, Mistress," Shinji stammered.

"I see," Rei said. "Do not disturb my sleep again, Slave."


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from the fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Four:** Angels and Demigods

Takai Banryu liked Australia.

Prior to the Second Impact, this was hardly an uncommon attitude. The Land Down Under had once been a progressive democracy that was home to over twenty million people, and its natural landmarks, hot climate, and unique animal life used to draw a considerable number of tourists from various places all over the world.

The violent shifting of the global climate that the Second Impact had caused, however, had changed all that. The Australia of the present was mostly a frozen wasteland, not dissimilar to the Greenland of the past. These days, only particularly stubborn or hardcore Aussies continued to inhabit their homeland and eke out an existence there, along with a handful of small research teams.

Well, a handful of small research teams and Takai Banryu.

Takai liked Australia for the same reason that most of the Australian population had vacated the massive island: it now had a freezing cold climate and was almost utterly devoid of life, which meant, among other things, no flowers.

Takai hated flowers. He had allergies, which wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but that bitch Persephone resented his very existence, which meant that every flower within twenty kilometers of him was always doing its best to send pollen his way.

He was just about to venture out from his modest home and into the small village of obstinate Australians when he sensed that he was no longer alone. The teenage boy leapt to his feet just before a divine being he knew quite well appeared before him, seeming to form from the shadows of the dim room.

"Lord and Father," Takai greeted the god, immediately dropping to both knees.

"Rise, my son," the god said.

Takai obediently did as he was told. "What do you require of me, Father?"

"I have an important task for you, my son," the god told Takai. "I will explain the details later. For now, suffice to say that it will require you to return to the land of your birth."

Takai couldn't quite keep his mouth from twisting in displeasure at the thought of taking up residence in Japan again. Much of the Land of the Rising Sun's flora had thrived in the post-Impact climate. However, he didn't dare attempt to protest.

"Of course, Father," Takai said. "When do I leave?"

"Immediately," the god answered. "Gather your things, and then we'll be off."

Nodding, Takai made quick work of getting the essentials among his possessions together. This wasn't much, just some money, clothing, and a cache of antihistamines, nasal sprays, and other allergy medications he hadn't needed while in Australia. Whatever else he required, he would get in Japan.

"I am ready, Father," Takai said.

"Good," the god said, and with that, the two of them disappeared from the continent.

* * *

"Explain something to me, Ritsuko," Misato said.

"I'm not sure I have time, Misato," Ritsuko replied with a small smirk, "after all, there's only six more hours before my shift's over."

"Ha, ha, smartass," Misato growled. "Besides, we both know you won't be going home just because your shift ends."

Ritsuko sighed ruefully, and briefly allowed herself to wonder why Misato always felt the need to hover around _her_ office after Angel battles.

_What am I thinking?_ The scientist wondered. _She's avoiding the paperwork that always follows a battle. You'd think she could avoid reminding me of how much of an insane workaholic _I_ am, though._

"All right, fine," Ritsuko said, not taking her eyes off her computer screen, "what do you want to know, Misato?"

Misato leaned a hip against a nearby wall and crossed her arms. "All of NERV's strategic doctrine is based on the assumption that the Angels will attack one at a time."

"That's correct," Ritsuko said.

"Then what the hell was that last battle?" Misato demanded. "There were _three_ Angels, Ritsuko! Three! Why the hell aren't we rewriting our rulebook like crazy? The Angels certainly seem to have rewritten theirs!"

Finally taking her eyes off her work, Ritsuko turned and regarded Misato, suddenly suspecting that the Operations Director had actually planned this conversation far in advance. Misato's ditzy, party-girl persona made it easy to forget, but the purple haired woman was very intelligent and could be very shrewd when she wanted.

_I should have expected this,_ Ritsuko thought ruefully.

Misato had started demanding an explanation the moment Ritsuko had met her at the dock immediately after the battered _Over the Rainbow_ made it to New Yokosuka. Ritsuko had been able to deflect the questions by saying that she had to look over all the available data before she could reach any conclusions. Now, almost exactly 24 hours later, Misato was asking again.

No one would ever accuse the Operations Director of not being persistent enough.

"We're not at all sure that the Angels are doing anything different, Misato," Ritsuko finally confessed.

"Huh?" Misato blinked. "How could that be?"

"Only one of the creatures that attacked the fleet was an Angel, Misato," Ritsuko explained.

Misato's eye twitched. "Wait, are you telling me that two giant monsters that aren't Angels just randomly decided to show up during the battle and start attacking, too?"

"Well, we're certainly not sure about the random part, but all the data we've gathered suggests they're not Angels," Ritsuko said.

"But how could that even be possible?" Misato asked. "How could those other monsters _not_ be Angels?"

"I don't know, Misato, but they're not," Ritsuko said. "No AT field. No blue pattern. They weren't Angels."

"Then why did they attack?" Misato asked.

"We don't know," Ritsuko said. "The current theory is that they and the sighting of the Wonder Girl are connected."

"You think Wonder Girl brought them or something?" Misato asked incredulously. "You must be kidding me."

"You're quick to jump to that girl's defense, considering what she caused to happen to you," Ritsuko pointed out. "Honestly, Misato's it's a miracle that you're still alive, never mind that you've made a full recovery."

"And maybe I wouldn't be so forgiving if I wasn't up and about again, but, well, I am," Misato shrugged. "What she did at the JA unveiling was an accident."

"Mm, I suppose," Ritsuko replied, "and in any case, the supposed connection is just a hypothesis."

"Because we don't know a damn thing about those new monsters," Misato said grimly. "Is that it?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Ritsuko said. "We don't know if more are coming, if they'll show up during the next Angel attack, or what they're capable of."

"Personally, Ritsuko, I'd stick to the more basic question," Misato commented. "What the hell are they?"

* * *

"Scylla and Charybdis," Gendo spoke.

"What?" Fuyutski replied.

The two men were seated by Gendo's desk in the man's cavernous office, and in the center of the mostly empty room hovered a two-dimensional hologram showing recordings of the previous Angel battle. The Commander had paused the recording, and the frightening visage of the serpentine, six-headed horror hung frozen in Gendo's lair. In the background was the whirlpool which had claimed so many lives.

"Scylla and Charybdis," Gendo repeated. "Two monsters from ancient Greek mythology, who harassed both Odysseus and Jason and the Argonauts on their respective journeys. Either they're not as mythical as the world has always believed, or someone has gone to an enormous amount of trouble to make us think that monsters conceived millennia ago are attacking us."

"You can't be serious, Ikari," Fuyutski said incredulously. "Perhaps some resemblance to the creatures of myth is there, but to suggest that ancient legends are attacking us now is preposterous. The idea that someone went to the effort to mold these beasts after creatures in an ancient epic isn't much better."

Casually, Gendo opened up his desk drawer and pulled out a Japanese translation of Homer's second epic. Opening it, Gendo began to read aloud.

"'But that is the den of Scylla, where she yaps abominably, a newborn whelp's cry, though she is huge and monstrous. God or man, no one could look on her in joy. Her legs—and there are twelve—are like great tentacles, unjointed, and upon her serpent necks are borne six heads like nightmares of ferocity.'" Gendo said.

The Commander then turned to look silently at his immediate subordinate. Fuyutski made no reply.

"Skipping down the page a bit…" Gendo continued. "'The opposite point seems more a tongue of land you'd touch with a good bowshot, at the narrows. A great wild fig, a shaggy mass of leaves, grows on it, and Charybdis lurks below to swallow down the dark sea tide. Three times from dawn to dusk she spews it up and sucks it down again three times, a whirling maelstrom; if you come upon her then the god who makes earth tremble could not save you.'"

"Quite the coincidence," Fuyutski remarked in a measured tone.

"More than that, Sensei. The details match up too well," Gendo said. "As I said, either we're fighting mythological beasts as well as Angels, or someone with tremendous resources wants us very much to think that we are."

"But who could do such a thing?" Fuyutski wondered.

"No one we know of, save SEELE," Gendo said. "I've looked at it from every angle, and I can't see how this would have benefited the old men, and even they wouldn't do such a thing simply for the sake of unpredictability."

"Hmm, in any case, I suppose the real question is: what are we going to do about this? And for that matter, what are we going to do about the Wonder Girl?" Fuyutski asked.

Gendo was silent for a moment, and to Fuyutski's eye, the man seemed to…diminish slightly. Not in size, but in a certain, indefinable quality that Gendo Ikari had always possessed in spades.

"I don't know," the bearded man confessed softly.

Fuyutski openly gaped at Gendo. He had been the younger man's reluctant partner in crime for years now, and not once—not _once_—had Gendo ever even appeared to be at a loss as to how to respond to a troublesome situation, let alone admitted that he was.

"How?" the older man asked. "Don't you have contingency plans?"

"Contingency plans?" Gendo echoed.

The Commander abruptly got up from his chair then and began to head over to a filing cabinet that the deep shadows of the huge office usually kept well concealed.

Getting up and going to get something wasn't exactly the most emotional response in the world, but Fuyutski knew how to read his former student quite well after all these years. Though most people wouldn't have noticed, Gendo's movements were quick and jerky; the man was schooling himself religiously, but he couldn't keep all the anger he was feeling from seeping into his body language.

Fuyutski suddenly knew that as much as the idea of Gendo without a plan to deal with their latest obstacles might unnerve _him_, it was driving the younger man utterly insane with frustration.

This quietly terrified Fuyutski.

"I have contingency plans, Fuyutski," Gendo said, opening one of the drawers on the filing cabinet and pulling out a handful of tan folders. "Whenever I'm not seeing to it that the scenario continues to run smoothly, I'm forming contingency plans just in case it does not."

Gendo walked back over to his desk and dropped the folders he'd taken onto it.

"I have hundreds upon hundreds of contingency plans, Sensei," Gendo said. "If every member of SEELE is simultaneously assassinated, and the UN General Assembly starts to look much more closely at NERV and the monies that go to it, I have a plan for that. If the United States decides to nationalize the Evangelions being built on its soil and attack the other NERV branches, I have a plan for that. If _Belgium_ declares war on NERV, I have a plan for that, too."

"Gendo…" Fuyutski said.

"What I do _not_ have a plan for is a situation where a girl with the strength of hundreds of men shows up, and monsters out of ancient works of fiction follow," Gendo finished.

It was truly amazing, Fuyutski mused, how Gendo could keep his voice totally cold and dispassionate, even as he delivered what was very obviously a rant.

"You never would have allowed yourself to say any of that if anyone else was here to hear you, would you?" the former professor commented dryly.

"No," Gendo replied levelly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Perhaps it's a sign from the heavens, that we're simply not meant to make this plan work," Fuyutski commented.

"Sensei, I thought you already knew that I refuse to bow to the will of Heaven," Gendo replied.

"Oh, I know that quite well," Fuyutski said, his joints popping in protest as he got up from his own chair. "If you'll excuse me, Commander, I have a meeting with the financial department."

With that, the older man departed, leaving the younger alone with the shadows and his plan to counteract the Belgian invasion.

Or at least, he was alone, until the shadows themselves began to take on human forms.

To his credit, when Gendo happened to notice this phenomena taking place about a meter from his desk, his response was to calmly unlock one of the drawers of his desk and withdraw a loaded pistol.

All at once, the darkness peeled off from the two humanoid shapes that had appeared in Gendo's office, like the old skin of a snake coming off, and the Commander was able to get a good look at the interlopers.

The first was a man who stood easily over six feet tall and was dressed bizarrely. He wore armor that would have been reminiscent of what ancient Greek soldiers had gone to battle in, were it not for the fact that the metal was clearly not bronze. That, and the rather sinister additions that were present. He had jet black hair, a handsome, chiseled face, and upon his brow sat an immaculate, golden crown.

The boy who stood to his side and behind him was dressed much more normally, though that wasn't hard. He was wearing a heavy parka that was ill suited to Japan's summery climate, but his attire did look like something a modern human somewhere might wear. The boy looked to be fourteen or so, and there was a clear resemblance between him and the man; Gendo had little doubt that they were related somehow. However, unlike the man, who looked to be wholly of Western descent, the boy was obviously part Japanese.

"Hello, Gendo Ikari," the man greeted in a deep, powerful voice. Then he frowned. "You were one of the mortals who orchestrated Second Impact, were you not?"

Gendo didn't answer. Instead, he squeezed off two shots, aiming for the towering man's heart.

Both bullets bounced harmlessly off his armor without leaving so much as a ding; whatever it was made of was far stronger than bronze.

The man was on him before Gendo could direct his aim for the intruder's head. The gun was knocked from Gendo's hand, and the Commander of NERV's world suddenly went topsy-turvy as the intruder effortlessly picked him up.

The man held Gendo above his head just long enough for the Commander to realize his situation, then he slammed the man down upon his own desk with enough force to break the thing in two. A scream of pain tore its way out of Gendo's mouth.

"Do you have any idea what that did to my realm?" the intruder demanded.

"Your realm?" Gendo forced out, trying not to concentrate on the pain. "What are you talking about?"

"I am Hades, Lord of the Underworld," the intruder said.

"I see," was Gendo's succinct reply, the Commander of NERV feeling a headache coming on in addition to all the other pains he was suffering from at the moment.

Then again, he supposed that, considering the monsters that had assaulted the fleet, it wasn't entirely inappropriate that a Greek god should pay him a visit.

"No, you don't see," Hades said darkly. "You have no _idea_ what the sudden arrival of four _billion_ people did to my already overcrowded domain. Chaos still reigns down below, even now after a decade has passed."

Gendo thought that Hades should probably fire all his middle management and find more competent replacements. However, he had not gotten to where he was without discretion, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I could gladly kill you right now, Ikari," Hades said. "Except that, fortunately for you, I have a use for you."

"And what would that be?" Gendo asked, trying to sound as dignified as possible as he sat up upon the wreckage that had previously been his desk.

"You and I have compatible goals, Gendo Ikari," Hades said, walking away from the puny human and turning to face the massive window that composed one of the room's four walls. "Very compatible goals."

"What do you mean?" Gendo asked.

"It's very simple," Hades said. "Your scenario requires the end of human life on Earth as it is currently known. I desire that. I desire that very much."

"Why?" Gendo asked. "Wouldn't that just increase the overcrowding and chaos in the Underworld?"

"Perhaps, assuming it's even possible for my realm to become more disorganized than it already is," Hades said. "However, then I will know that eventually, it will _end_, something I'm not at all sure of now, given the ever-steady stream of death that currently exists."

"If my scenario is already beneficial to you, why come to me at all?" Gendo asked.

"Because, you've been having some difficulties with your scenario, have you not?" Hades asked.

"Scylla and Charybdis," Gendo said. "And Wonder Girl."

"Yes," Hades agreed. "The sea beasts were just indiscretions on the part of my brother, who was attempting to defend _his_ domain. The champion of the Amazons is your true problem."

"And you've brought me a solution?" Gendo surmised.

"I have," Hades said, gesturing toward the boy. "This is my son, Takai Banryu."

The teenage boy gave Gendo a curt nod in greeting.

"He will serve as your counter to Wonder Girl," Hades said. "All you need do is see to it that he's provided for. Sheltered. Fed. Such things shouldn't be difficult for a man of your resources."

"No, it shouldn't be," Gendo agreed.

"Very good," Hades said. "Ah, and there is one more thing."

"Of course there is," Gendo said flatly.

Hades gave Gendo a glare but quickly continued. "You need not succeed in your little scheme to be reunited with your wife," he said. "Simply see to it that all life on this world is destroyed, and I will make sure that you and she spend all of eternity together in Elysium."

"Do you actually expect me to trust you enough to invoke Third Impact at my first opportunity to do so?" Gendo asked.

"Not unless your plan becomes impossible to achieve," Hades said frankly. "Oh, and you should know that if you fail to annihilate Creation, I _will_ personally see to it that you suffer endlessly, as no one has _ever_ suffered before, once you enter my realm. Good day, Ikari."

With that, the God of the Underworld melted back into the shadows and vanished, leaving Gendo alone with his new demigod champion.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a different part of NERV entirely, a pair of pilots was walking through the halls.

"She's just so…confusing," Shinji said.

"How so?" Rei asked.

"She's just so full of herself and…angry," Shinji answered. "It was so easy to set her off. Half the time I didn't even know why she was so angry."

"I have heard little of the Second Child," Rei said. "They have only ever discussed her synchronization ratios in the past."

"That's…pretty sad, actually," Shinji said.

"What?" Rei asked.

"That all NERV ever cared about was how well she was doing with EVA, and not what she was like or anything," Shinji answered.

Rei glanced over at Shinji, feeling the most bizarre compulsion to start telling him how indifferent NERV had always been to _her_ over the years. Even with her still limited social graces, Rei knew this would appear strange, but she still wanted to do it anyway.

_I do not like listening to Shinji talk at length about another girl,_ Rei suddenly realized. The revelation surprised her, especially since it made little sense; Shinji was obviously far from enamored with the Second Child. Yet somehow, knowing all of this did nothing to dispel the illogical feelings she was experiencing.

Emotions were most confusing.

Fortunately, Rei was saved from having to examine the ones coursing through her any further as she and Shinji reached their destination, a wave of humid air and the smell of chlorine sweeping over them as they arrived at the NERV pool.

Rei silently walked over to where a plastic table and chairs were set up by the side of the pool and began to strip off her clothing, until she was wearing only the white, one piece swimsuit she'd had on beneath her school uniform.

After carelessly setting her clothes aside on one of the chairs, she turned to look at Shinji. The Third Child was still fully dressed and was looking exceedingly awkward and uncomfortable.

"Shinji," she said, "you must disrobe if we are to do this."

"Wh-What?" Shinji stammered, his face turning bright red.

"I am going to give you a swimming lesson, am I not?" Rei said.

"Oh, uh, yeah, of course," Shinji said, embarrassed at where his mind had gone.

Reluctantly, he began stripping down to the swim trunks he was wearing, feeling painfully self-conscious about how scrawny he was. He was exceedingly aware of the fact that Rei's body showed more than a few signs of young womanhood, while he, in his less than generous opinion, looked like a skinny little boy.

It was probably because of all this that Shinji entirely failed to notice the way Rei looked at him, and the faint pink blush that briefly appeared on her cheeks.

"Okay," Shinji said, "now what?"

"Into the pool," Rei instructed Shinji, contemplating how strange this felt.

She had never told anyone what to do before, unless she was passing on orders on behalf of someone else, usually the Commander.

Pushing these musings from her mind, Shinji followed Rei into the temperate pool water. "Come," Rei said, heading for the deep end.

"Uh, shouldn't we, you know, start at the shallow side?" Shinji asked nervously.

"It is difficult to swim properly in the shallow end without your limps striking the bottom of the pool," Rei replied.

"Well, all right," Shinji said uncertainly, following her into the deeper water.

Soon Rei had reached a section of the pool where her feet could no longer touch the bottom. She calmly kicked her legs to keep her head above water, the movement almost as automatic to her as breathing.

Shinji hesitated when he was up to his neck in water. Then, seeing Rei's expectant red gaze, he sighed inwardly and took another step.

And his head instantly disappeared beneath the surface of the water.

Rei actually released a small squeak of surprise and alarm at seeing him sink like a stone in the calm pool water, but as no one besides the currently submerged Third Child was around, nobody heard her.

Wasting no more time, Rei quickly dived beneath the surface of the water, swam to Shinji, and pulled him back toward the shallow end. He coughed and sputtered as his head broke the surface of the water.

"Sorry, Rei," he said sheepishly. "Maybe some humans are meant to float, but I'm not one of them."

"There is no need to apologize," Rei said. "I have never taught anyone anything before, and it seems that I pushed you into the deep end too soon. I apologize."

"It's nothing," Shinji said.

Rei tilted her head slightly. "Why do you go?"

"Go?"

"Into the deep end," Rei clarified. "You seemed to realize it was a bad idea. Why did you proceed?"

Shinji shrugged. "You told me to."

Rei blinked at this, which, for the First Child, was the equivalent of recoiling in shock. She knew about doing what you were told, maybe better than anyone else alive. Indeed, not long ago, she would have sacrificed herself in combat without a second thought if the Commander ordered her to do so.

But he was different from her.

"You cannot be replaced," she said softly, almost too quiet for Shinji to hear.

"What?" Shinji asked, confused.

"You should not follow orders that you know could bring harm to you for no purpose," Rei said. "You cannot be replaced."

Shinji's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "What about you?" he asked, remembering the day the Third Angel had attacked, and how a half dead Rei had been willing to climb into the entry plug in his place.

"You and I are not the same," Rei said quietly.

"Why not?" Shinji asked.

Rei didn't answer him. She just looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.

Shinji sighed. "Anyway, I didn't expect me heading in the deep end to go well, but I also knew I wouldn't get hurt or anything."

"How?" Rei asked, facing him again.

"Because you're here," Shinji answered simply.

Rei gave him a small smile, feeling pleased to discover his trust in her was strong enough that he felt safe literally getting in over his head so long as she was there. However, her smile faded as she began to wonder if such confidence in her was truly warranted. After all, she was party to a plan that would destroy Shinji Ikari as she knew him, along with every other person on Earth, and she had not yet renounced that plan, even in the safety of her own mind.

_Too many secrets,_ she thought. She had never felt the weight of the information she kept hidden from the world before, but things were very different these days.

_You're not here to angst and reflect,_ a voice from within her mind chided her, and Rei wondered, as she had many times in the recent past, if the thought was her own or if it was divine in origin.

Deciding, as she usually did, that it didn't matter, Rei began to walk toward the shallowest part of the pool, where the water was only three feet deep. "Follow me," she instructed Shinji.

"Didn't you say it was difficult to swim properly at the shallow end?" Shinji asked.

"We are not going to be swimming," Rei replied.

"Huh?" replied Shinji, feeling a strange combination of surprise, relief, and disappointment at the idea that Rei was giving up on this endeavor already.

"I see now that I must break your belief that humans are not meant to float," Rei said.

"So you're going to try and teach me to float?" Shinji asked.

"That is the most expedient way of achieving my goal," Rei said, "and it does not require deep water."

"Um, okay, what do I do?" Shinji asked.

"You need only to lay on your back and remain relaxed," Rei said, demonstrating for him by laying down on the surface of the water.

"Well, okay, I'll try…" Shinji said.

The Third Child leaned back onto the water…and almost immediately began thrashing about. In a few seconds, he had made it back to his feet.

"Shinji, you must _relax_," Rei said as she stood up herself, a faint trace of exasperation making its way into her voice. "The human body is naturally buoyant, but if you panic, you will sink."

Nodding sheepishly, Shinji tried it again, this time determined not to panic until he started inhaling water. Yet, miraculously, he didn't find pool water invading his nostrils. Instead, he was actually floating placidly on the surface of the water.

"Hey, I did—ack!" Shinji's triumphant exclamation was cut short as his movements caused his mouth and nose to sink beneath the surface of the water again.

"Congratulations," Rei said, choosing not to comment on Shinji's latest blunder.

"Thank…" Shinji coughed, able to feel water in his nasal passages, "…you."

* * *

"Thank you, come again," Kensuke said cheerfully as he accepted a handful of bills from a fellow student, handing him several photographs in exchange.

"Man, I can't believe the money we're making off of this," Toji said, sounding surprisingly grouchy, considering what he was saying. "It's just a good thing that these pictures don't reveal her personality."

"Mmm," Kensuke said, studying the negatives of the photographs of Asuka he'd spent all morning taking. "Yeah. The money's nice, but personally, I can't get how anyone could be interested in the devil with the _other_ new girl in town."  
The bespectacled boy carefully set the negatives aside and picked up a copy of the _Tokyo Tattler_ he'd bought that morning. On the cover was a picture of a blue haired girl in what he considered a wonderfully immodest leotard. She was using a golden lasso to restrain some thug.

"Man, would you check out the legs on this Wonder Girl character?" Kensuke asked.

"Legs?" Toji said. "I was looking at her br—"

Before the jock could finish that sentence, Kensuke abruptly hid the tabloid behind his back. Toji jumped, fearing that the class rep was approaching or something, but instead it was just another male student looking for pictures of Asuka.

"What was that about?" Toji asked in annoyance once the transaction had been completed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack there."

"It would be bad for business to let people see us looking at pictures different from the ones we're selling," Kensuke replied, counting the money they'd made so far.

Toji sighed and shook his head. "Ken, have I ever told you that you're crazy sometimes?"

"Repeatedly," Kensuke answered nonchalantly.

* * *

Shinji didn't think he'd ever seen the schoolyard buzzing with so much activity before. The introduction of a new student, and a foreign one at that, at a time when most people were moving _away_ from Tokyo-3 would have been enough by itself to drive the student body mad with curiosity.

However, add in the reports that Wonder Girl had been sighted during the last Angel battle, following the public discovery of her very existence by mere days, and it was enough to nearly throw the student body into a frenzy of speculation and gossip about both girls.

For himself, Shinji knew that there were no great secrets about Wonder Girl being revealed on the school yard. At least, none that were true. And after the whole ordeal on _Over the Rainbow_, he'd had enough of Asuka for a while, at least.

_I wonder what happened to Toji and Kensuke,_ Shinji thought, looking about but not seeing them anywhere.

Suddenly, his musing was interrupted by a cheerful voice that rang out from across the schoolyard, demanding attention.

"Hullo, Shinji! Guten Morgen!"

He turned to see the Second Child approaching him. "Ah, hello, Asuka," he replied nervously, "G-Guten Morgen…"

Asuka frowned. "Hey, why so gloomy?" she demanded. "You should be glad that I'm even talking to you! I'm the most popular girl in school!"

Shinji just nodded in timid agreement.

"And what is with everyone here, anyway?" Asuka asked. "The way people are talking about this Wonder Girl character, you'd think that _she_ killed the Angels, instead of just making a two second appearance at the scene of the battle."

"Um, I don't know," Shinji said. "You'd have to ask them."

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you where the other one is," Asuka said.

"Other one?" Shinji repeated dumbly.

"Baka! I'm talking about the First Child!" Asuka exclaimed, flicking him on the forehead with her fingers.

"Ow!" Shinji exclaimed.

_Wow, she's a lot stronger than she looks,_ he thought.

"Oh, don't be such a wimp," Asuka said. "Now where is she?"

"Um, Ayanami is…" Shinji looked around for a second, soon spotting the blue haired girl. "Over there."

Spotting Rei, Asuka took off for the other EVA pilot without so much as a word.

* * *

Rei Ayanami was sitting on a bench and reading a small book, when she showed up.

"Hello again, Rei."

The First Child looked up to see Miki, the student who had was (or at least, had been until yesterday), regarded as the most desirable girl in the school and was Aphrodite's favorite subject of possession.

"Do you have more instructions for me regarding Shinji?" Rei asked.

"Well, I'd tell you to get your nose out of the books and spend more time with your little Shinji," Aphrodite said, "but the owl would probably never let me hear the end of it if I did, so I won't."

Rei arched an eyebrow.

"That's what I like about you, Rei-chan," Aphrodite said. "You can express so very much while saying so very, very little."

"Did you come here to do something besides not telling me what I should do?" Rei asked.

"Do I ever appear to you needlessly?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes," Rei answered.

"True," Aphrodite conceded at once, completely unfazed. "But this time I haven't. Tell me, did you know that in some versions of the legends about me, I'm more than just the goddess of love?"

"I did not know that," Rei said, silently wondering what the goddess's point was.

"Yes, it wouldn't be wrong to say that I'm often regarded as the goddess of affection as well, as in the kind of affection between friends," Aphrodite said.

"So?" Rei asked.

"In a few seconds, someone's going to ask you a question," Aphrodite said. "You're free to respond however you like, but I'd really suggest that you answer in the affirmative."

"Why?" Rei asked. "Will doing so benefit me in the future?"

Aphrodite shrugged. "I don't know. The gods are often afforded glimpses of what's to come, but even we can't read the future like a book," she said. "However, I do believe that saying yes is a good idea, otherwise I wouldn't advise you to do as much. Well…toodles!"

With that, Aphrodite jumped up to her feet and hastily walked away. Rei was about to ask the goddess to come back and further explain what she was talking about, but she stopped as a shadow fell over her.

"Hi! I'm Asuka! Asuka Langley Soryu, the pilot of Unit Two. And you must be the pilot of the prototype. Let's be good friends!"

A small drop of sweat formed on the back of Rei's head. Truly, Aphrodite could be insufferable at times.

"Well?" Asuka demanded after Rei had been silent for a moment.

"I…um…" Rei stammered, not sure how to respond.

The First Child wasn't one to make friends easily, to put it mildly, and in truth, she found the redhead rather obnoxious. However, Aphrodite's council—illogical though Rei often found it—had yet to steer her wrong.

Rei was saved by the bell, almost literally, as the cell phones of both girls began to ring at once. The First Child would have known who it was even if Asuka's phone hadn't start ringing simultaneously; no ever called her besides NERV.

Crimson eyes met pale blue as the two pilots exchanged a knowing look.

"Angel," Rei said.

* * *

Not long afterwards, EVA Units One and Two were arriving at the coastline, and the rest of NERV busily prepared to support the violet and red giants. From high up in the sky, a specially designed carrier dropped a massive container onto the beach, kicking up a great cloud of sand. The impact caused the container to open, revealing an arsenal of EVA-sized weapons. Meanwhile, the two Evangelions patiently held still and waited as a pair of NERV trucks, also specially designed, connected umbilical cables to their backs.

"All right, guys," Misato told the pilots from inside a mobile command van, "the city's defense systems were badly damaged by the Fifth Angel, and our capability for actual combat is virtually nil. Therefore, we're going to be engaging the Angel outside the city in a series of waves. In other words, close in and take turns attacking!"

"Roger!" Shinji and Asuka replied crisply.

Misato allowed herself a moment of complacency, for once feeling like they were fully ready to face the coming Angel. NERV had detected it early, and they had two Evangelions at full battle readiness to throw at it.

"This sucks," Asuka piped up, bringing an end to Misato's good feelings. "My first battle in Japan, and I don't get to handle it solo. Why did you have to bring the baka?"

"SOP," Shinji answered, establishing a direct communications link with Unit Two. "That's just procedures."

"Well, let me tell you something, Third Child! You'd better just stay out of my way out there!" Asuka snapped.

Shinji stammered wordlessly for a second, then closed the EVA-to-EVA link.

Finally, the trucks that were hooking the EVA's power cables up finished their jobs and pulled away, allowing the two titans to stand up straight and then make for the weapons cache. Asuka selected a progressive spear while Shinji grabbed a rifle.

"Two against one's not a fair fight," Asuka observed. "Not fair!"

"Asuka," Misato said with a sigh, "the last thing we want to do is give the Angels a battle with equal footing."

"Equal? Misato, I've been in one battle so far and I've already got two kills under my belt. I wouldn't call a fight with me equal," Asuka said cheerfully.

"Just follow orders, Asuka," Misato grumbled.

Before the Second Child could make a reply to this, the Seventh Angel burst out from beneath the surface of the green ocean, great rivulets of seawater running down its immense form. The Seventh was a huge, gray and black that thing that was vaguely reminiscent of the Third Angel, except it was much larger, and its face was an odd "yin-yang" pattern. The red core sat just above its pelvis.

"Engage the target!" Misato commanded.

"I'll attack first," Asuka proclaimed, throwing her EVA into motion. "Cover my back, Shinji!"

"Oh, boy," Shinji muttered softly as he raised his rifle and pulled the trigger, doing his best to provide Unit Two with cover fire. "Let's just hope this goes all right."

_I'll take out this Angel before Shinji can even move!_ Asuka vowed as she charged.

* * *

Though the Second Child never would have believed it, Wonder Girl would have been only too happy to see Asuka prove herself right. Rei had had plenty of opportunities to observe the Commander's animosity for her alter ego, which had been incited more by the fact that she'd interfered with the JA demonstration than because her attempts at ending it had not exactly turned out well. She had no desire to further enflame her guardian's ire.

Yet she was also patently unwilling to risk that the Angel would be too much for the two Evangelions, so after reporting into NERV, Rei had quietly left headquarters and then rushed back to her apartment to don her Amazonian armor. Now Wonder Girl was currently standing in the remains of an abandoned building by the coast, observing the battle.

As she watched, Unit Two charged forward, using buildings that had been partially submerged by rising ocean waters as stepping stones as it made its way to the Angel. With the pilot's battle cry blaring out of the red EVA's external speakers, the crimson colossus brought its weapon down upon the Angel, cleanly bisecting it from head to crotch. The two sides of the Angel sagged and then became motionless, looking rather pathetic.

Wonder Girl's eyebrows rose, impressed with the attack. She was just about to depart when she saw the two halves of the carcass shudder violently, and then cast off their skin like snakes, a pair of Angels that were practically miniature versions of the original one emerging.

There was a moment of shocked silence in which no one moved or made a sound, least of all the two Evangelions present.

_That's it,_ the Amazon decided. _Time to intervene._

Wonder Girl took to the air, surging toward the twin Angels. With her incredible strength and two Evangelions, she was confident that it would be a simple matter to put them down with a minimum of injury to everyone involved. All she needed to do was keep one of the small Angels busy while the two EVA's destroyed the other, and then it would be a simple matter to defeat the remaining one.

The plan was rather elegant in its simplicity, but there was one rather large obstacle in the way of executing it that Wonder Girl couldn't have taken into account.

A ball of orange flame shot up at her, materializing from seemingly nowhere, and collided with the blue haired girl. The champion of the gods screamed in agony as the mystic fire swept over her flesh, doing little real damage but feeling like it was burning her all the way down to her very soul.

Her mind consumed by the pain, Wonder Girl tumbled down to the wet sand by the coast line, smoke rising off her body in tendrils as the fire burned out.

_What in the name of the gods was that?_ Wonder Girl thought.

Forcing herself to block out the pain, the Amazon managed to get to her feet, and soon came face to face with the source of the attack.

Standing ten feet away from her was a young man in modified Greek armor. A Corinthian helmet with short horns in place of the more traditional horse hair brush on it obscured his face. His armor had shoulder guards on it, both of which boasted a trio of wicked looking spikes, and in his hand he held a sword, and its blade of was surrounded by orange flames, just like the kind that had brought her crashing down to the beach.

None of his armaments were made of bronze, Olympian or otherwise. Instead, every piece of metal he had on him was as black as midnight.

"Greetings, Wonder Girl," he said in a rich voice that the Amazon found surprisingly pleasant. "Shall we dance?"

* * *

Author's Notes: I know, a pretty lousy place to stop, but my muse just deserted me, and it seemed like it was best to end the chapter here, instead of pushing forward anyway and having a really lame battle.

Anyway, here we have our new OC villain. Personally, I don't know why Wonder Woman doesn't encounter, and fight, more demigods. She clashes with certain Greek gods (usually Ares) often enough. It would make sense for them to send their children after her.

I hope Gendo didn't come off as OOC during his rant. I just think that something as massively out of left field as the superwomen showing up would drive someone like him up the wall. Gendo's _not_ a comic book villain; he's not used to having to factor in the possibility of interference from superheroes into his plans.

I also hope Hades and his reasons for wanting Third Impact to occur didn't come off as cracked. Him wanting everyone to die just to increase his power seemed so cliché. Incidentally, Takai's armor is based off of the armor Hades wore in the Justice League cartoon.

By the way, Gendo's reading of the Odyssey came from my translation of it by Robert Fitzgerald, with the spelling of the name's altered for consistency's sake within the fic.

Chojomeka, I've read those books, even _The Demigod Files_ (which just screamed "milking the cash cow"), and as I like them a lot, they're definitely influencing this fic quite a bit, I confess.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers.

* * *

Deleted Scene

"Are you sure this is right?" Toji asked the next day as he looked up a strip of negatives. "I mean, this seems weird?"

"What? What's wrong with it?" Kensuke asked defensively. "We're making money hand over fist here, and it's not like we're hurting anyone!"

"I know that, but it still feels…creepy," Toji said, shifting position uncomfortably.

"Creepy?" Kensuke repeated. "You didn't have a problem with selling pictures of the devil!"

"Well, no, but the devil's…the devil," Toji said, as though this explained everything.

Fortunately, if there was anyone who'd understand this point, it was his friend Kensuke, who indeed nodded in partial agreement. "Okay, I get that the devil's different, but still, what's the big deal? Like I said, it's not like we're hurting anyone."

"Yeah, but…"

"But…?" Kensuke prompted.

"What if this makes people think we're gay?" Toji finally confessed the true source of his misgivings.

Kensuke rolled his eyes. "Nobody's gonna think we're gay," he said. "Shamelessly capitalist, yes. Gay, no."

Toji sighed, looking up at the negatives he held again. "Man, what does that Takai kid have that we don't?" he asked enviously.

"I don't know but it's making me money," Kensuke said cheerfully as he watched a pair of girls approaching them, a rather embarrassed look on their faces.

(A/N: A while after reading this, I realized it wouldn't exactly take a genius to figure out who the new supervillian in town was if Takai started school at the exact same time, but I found this exchange amusing, so here it is.)

* * *

Omakes!

Obligatory Halloween Omake Number One: Trick or Treat

"I feel a little childish doing this," Shinji confessed as he and the First Child walked down the street in one of the city's residential areas.

"But you are enjoying yourself, correct?" Rei asked, a trace of nervousness in her voice.

Shinji smiled. "Yeah, I am, actually," he said. "I never did this when I was younger."

"I am enjoying myself as well," Rei said, making a mental note to thank Aphrodite for the idea the next time she saw the love goddess.

"By the way, that's a great Wonder Girl costume," Shinji commented. "Except for the tiara, it looks exactly like the real thing."

"Th-thank you," Rei said nervously, reaching up and touching the plastic tiara she was wearing in place of the real one.

It was the only part of her costume that wasn't authentic. Rei knew it was unwise to go as her alter ego, but as she wasn't the most imaginative person in the world, she hadn't been able to come up with a better idea.

Not that Shinji's "costume" was so much better. The Third Child had donned one of his plug suits and was going as an EVA pilots, taking advantage of the fact that most people didn't know who the pilots were.

"Let's try this house," Rei said, hoping to shift the topic of the conversation.

Not that it was necessary; Shinji had been surreptitiously sneaking a look at her figure, displayed as it was in the tight leotard, and Rei's uncanny resemblance to the super heroine had been the furthest thing from his mind.

"House? Oh, sure," Shinji said, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

The two teenagers approached the house and rang the doorbell. The door was soon answered by a large, grouchy looking man.

"Uh, trick or treat?" Shinji said, intimidated by the guy's glare.

"Do we even _do_ that here in Japan?" the man asked.

"Uh…" Shinji stammered.

"You want something?" the man asked. "Here, take these."

With that, he produced the nightmare of trick-or-treaters everywhere: miniature toothpaste tubes. The man dropped them into the two teenagers' buckets and then slammed the door in their faces.

"That was rude," Rei said, "and toothpaste tubes are crappy handouts for trick-or-treaters."

"Rei? Did you just swear?" Shinji asked, stunned.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Never mind," Shinji said. "Come on, Rei, let's just go someplace else."

"You go ahead, Shinji," Rei said. "I have something I need to do. I will catch up with you in a moment."

"Uh, okay," Shinji said, uncertainly.

He briefly considered telling her not to do anything rash, then, remembering that this was Rei, he shrugged and walked off.

Rei waited until Shinji was out of sight. Then she took a quick look around to confirm that no one else was looking. Once she was certain there were no witnesses about, she removed her fake tiara and replaced it with the real one. Cracking her knuckles, Wonder Girl advanced toward the house.

* * *

Shinji was just about to knock on the door of another house when it happened. There was a tremendous _boom!_ and the ground shook beneath his feet. Turning, he saw that a great plume of dust was rising from the general area of the house he and Rei had just been at.

His eyes widened and he ran back there, afraid that something might have happened to Rei.

Yet he needn't have worried. Rei stood on the sidewalk, perfectly fine (and wearing her fake tiara again). The house of the toothpaste-giver, however, was a total disaster. It looked like somebody had somehow picked it up off its foundation and then dropped it back onto the ground. As Shinji watched, the man who lived there stumbled out, looking very dazed and dirty but miraculously unharmed.

"Wh-What happened here?" Shinji asked, shocked.

"It's a Halloween miracle," Rei answered, as if this explained everything. "Come on, Shinji, let's find another house to trick or treat at."

* * *

Obligatory Halloween Omake Number Two: Rei + Sugar = ?

A while after Rei and Shinji had finished trick or treating, the First Child sat in her apartment, surveying her haul. They had done surprisingly well, all things considering, and Rei now had a substantial pile of candy.

However, she wasn't quite sure what to do with all of it. She supposed that it would be most expedient to just throw it all away; she had gone trick or treating for the experience, not the sweets, after all.

And yet, she could smell them even through the wrappers, and they smelled good.

_Just one,_ Rei told herself, unwrapping a piece of candy.

She popped it into her mouth, and her eyes widened as she chewed.

Rei Ayanami had just discovered chocolate. The world would never be the same.

_Maybe just one more,_ she told herself.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

"Wow, this candy's great! Great! Great! Great! Great! Great! Great!!!" Rei exclaimed, jumping up and down in a very un-Rei-like display.

The First Child decided that she'd never felt so energetic and happy before, had never felt so _alive_ before. Indeed, there was only one thing that could make this evening better.

Shinji.

Feeling glad that she hadn't bothered to change out of her "costume", Rei donned her real tiara and then flew out of her window into the night.

* * *

"So, Shinji, did you enjoy your night trick or treating with Rei?" Misato asked.

"Well, it was fun, I guess," Shinji answered nervously, just knowing that his guardian was looking for something to tease him about.

"So did you get a treat from _Rei_?" Misato asked in a singsong voice. "A little _sugar_, maybe?"

Shinji sighed. "Misato, if you drop this right now, you can have my candy," he said, offering her the bucket.

"Sweet!" Misato said, grabbing the offered treats. "Ooo, peanut butter cups! Hey, Pen-Pen, there are some of those fish-shaped gummi candies you like in here!"

_That worked surprisingly well,_ Shinji thought as he watched Pen-Pen waddle over toward Misato. _I should bribe her more oft—_

His thought was cut off in mid-word as the doors to the veranda were suddenly thrown open, and a blur of red and blue rushed inside.

"_Ahhh!_" Shinji screamed as the blur snatched him up and then proceeded to fly out of the apartment.

"_Shinji!_" Misato screamed in alarm.

She rushed over to the veranda, but by the time she'd gotten there, any sign of the strange blur was gone.

_Oh god, this is really bad,_ Misato thought. _I have to call headquarters and report this. I have to organize a search party. I have to—_

DING DONG!

Jumping at the sound of the doorbell, Misato quickly recovered and went to answer the door. To her amazement, she found Shinji standing outside.

"Shin-chan!" Misato cried in relief, then frowned as she took a better look at him. "How are you here if you were just taken out through the window two seconds ago? And what _happened_ to you?"

The Third Child's hair and clothing looked extremely disheveled, as though he'd just been hit by a tornado. Which, Misato mused, might not be too far away from the truth.

"Um, I don't know," Shinji answered, sounding dazed and confused. "All I know is that for some reason I have the taste of chocolate in my mouth and I don't know why, and my groin is _extremely_ sore all of a sudden."


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Five: **A New Player in the Game

Wonder Girl's heart was pounding, not with exertion, nor even with fear, but with some emotion she couldn't give name to. Glaring at the figure in black armor who had just attacked her without provocation, the Amazon could feel her blood singing in her veins. Her muscles, toned and tested on Themyscira, taught to react faster than her mind could, were all taut and ready, like tightly coiled springs. She had little doubt that battle would be upon her soon, and for some reason she seemed abnormally aware of every detail around her. The seconds seemed to stretch until they felt far longer than they should have been.

_Is this the "battle fever" of which Queen Hippolyta spoke?_ Part of her mind wondered.

"Who are you?" she demanded in a low voice.

"'Who am I'?" the armored figure echoed the question. "Who am I? I am the darkness that descends at the moment of oblivion. I am the night in which neither moonlight nor starlight shines. I am the end of hope, and the beginning of eternal rest."

"Do you have a name?" the blue-haired girl asked in a flat tone.

"My name would mean nothing to you, Wonder Girl," he answered with a small chortle. "I've never had the unique pleasure of making your acquaintance before, nor the acquaintance of any Amazon, for that matter."

His words dripped with obvious contempt, and yet part of Wonder Girl couldn't help but marvel at how pleasant his voice was to her ear. Smooth, rich, and powerful, he had—if she remembered the phrase she had once heard a classmate use correctly—a voice "that could melt butter."

Unfortunately for him, it would take much more than that to charm an Amazon warrior.

"Has Hades sent you?" she asked.

"Which Olympian—if any—sent me is none of your concern," he replied nonchalantly.

Feeling mild annoyance at his refusal to answer her queries, Wonder Girl moved onto the only question that really mattered. "Will you leave her peacefully, or will I have to force you out of my way?"

A short grunt of a laugh came from within his pitch-black helmet. It seemed to echo far more than it should. "You can try and fight me," he said.

Wonder Girl needed no further invitation; it was almost a relief to finally be able to release the anxious energy that had filled her body, begging to be unleashed. She sprinted forward, her red-and-white boots kicking up small clouds of sand as she rapidly closed the distance between herself and her new foe.

The man in black armor pointed his sword forward, and a great gout of orange flame erupted from the blade. For a split second, Wonder Girl believed that this assault was aimed at her, but almost immediately she realized that he was not directly targeting her. Instead, the unworldly orange flame struck the beach. Impossibly, the sand ignited, and the fire quickly spread to the left and right, forming a barrier of enchanted flame between the two combatants.

Wonder Girl didn't even slow down. Waiting until she was mere inches away from the fires which had hurt her so badly mere moments ago, the Amazon jumped, not even needing to use her magic boots to help her gain enough altitude to clear the blazing obstacle. Performing a somersault in midair that a professional acrobat might have envied, the Amazon went sailing directly toward her enemy, both legs extended and pointed directly at him. She was able to see his eyes widen through the small holes his helm allowed for them.

_Brown,_ she thought, automatically memorizing their color. _A brown so dark they are almost black._

Taken off-guard by her maneuver and weighed down his armor, her foe was unable to get out of the way in time. The bottoms of Wonder Girl's boots impacted solidly against his chest, slightly denting his breastplate and drawing a grunt of pain from him. He went staggering backwards several steps, his armor clanking loudly.

Wonder Girl's eyes widened; she had expected the force of that blow to send him flying, but his great weight prevented it. The black metal his armor was forged from had to be far heavier than even Olympian bronze.

The Amazon's surprise stopped her for a few fractions of a second, and that was all it took for her enemy to recover and swing his sword at her. She immediately held up an arm, and the edge of the blade struck the gauntlet she wore on her forearm. As always, the silvery piece of metal was unscathed, but she could feel the sheer force of the impact travel through her arm and to the rest of her body.

Her face tightened into something resembling a grimace. _He's strong,_ she thought.

Her foe made several more attacks with his sword, clearly intent on regaining control of the battle. Wonder Girl blocked the attacks with her gauntlets, but she was forced to retreat several steps. The blue-haired girl was soon perilously close to the line of fire he'd created earlier, and she dearly wished that she had brought her own sword.

_An Amazon never wastes time complaining about things that cannot be. She does everything she can to make them the way they _should_ be,_ the voice of Queen Hippolyta spoke from her memory.

With her eyes narrowing, Wonder Girl held up her left arm to block another sword strike. There was the loud ring of metal against metal as his blade hit her gauntlet, but this time she barely even felt the unpleasant vibrations that the blows sent through her entire body. Her right arm shot out, and she punched him right in the abdomen.

His armor crumpled beneath her small fist, and he let out a brief cry of pain as he again went staggering backwards several steps. This time, Wonder Girl didn't allow him a moment to gather herself.

Instead, she lashed out with her fists again and again, striking him repeatedly on the torso and head, leaving a series of dents in even his tough armor. He was unable to get in an attack while enduring her whirlwind assault, but that burning sword remained firmly clenched in his fist.

Finally, with a small cry of exertion, Wonder Girl hit him as hard as she could, her fist landing squarely in the center of his chest.

_Now_ he went flying, his black-clad form sailing backwards a good twenty feet before hitting the sandy ground and then bouncing several times, not unlike a stone skipping across the surface of a pond.

Wonder Girl briefly considered taking the opportunity to fly right past him. However, even if her enemy didn't possess the ability to fly himself, he still might be able to shoot her out of the air with a blast of fire. And in any case, she needed to know who this person that had attacked her from nowhere was. Commander Ikari always said that the most foolish thing a person could do was ignore their enemies.

She had to see this battle through to the end.

The Amazon flew forward toward her enemy, but he was resilient, getting back to his feet as quickly as his heavy armor would allow. Once he was standing again, he unleashed several blasts of flame from his sword in her direction, making the blue-haired superwoman wonder if he had any other tricks even as she was forced to dodge and then land to avoid the attacks.

Once certain that he'd interrupted her advance, the armored figure turned and began to retreat toward the shoreline at a surprisingly quick clip. Wonder Girl frowned as she gave chase; with his heavy armor, she would have expected him to stay as far away from the water as possible.

Yet in total defiance of this simple logic, her enemy didn't stop until the surf was lapping at his ankles. She was nearly upon him by this point, but he had enough time to direct a stream of solid flame right at her.

Crossing her arms in front of her so her gauntlets touched one another, she plunged directly into the inferno that came her way. The heat from the fire was intense, and she could almost instantly feel drops of sweat pouring down her face. However, her gauntlets protected her from having to directly endure the blast. With a grunt of effort, she pushed forward, slowly continuing her advance toward him.

Seeing that he was only delaying the inevitable, her armored foe abruptly cut off the stream of fire. With the resistance from it gone, Wonder Girl quickly surged forward, but her enemy was prepared for it. He quickly moved to the side, and she soared past him, crashing into the sea behind him in an undignified—and wet—landing.

She instantly jumped to her feet, but she was not the only thing that rose from the surf. Her eyes widened as a pair of skeletons emerged from either side of her, great clumps of wet sand sticking to their calcified forms.

They each clamped down on one of her arms, and their cold, wet hands felt truly horrendous on her bare skin; they made her arms go utterly numb upon contact, and it felt as though they were trying to drain all the strength and life right out of her.

Wonder Girl belatedly realized that _this_ was why her heavily armored enemy had gone down to the waterline despite the risk; some of the remains of those killed by Second Impact could still be found beneath the surf, even now, even this close to dry land.

"Good-bye, Amazon," her black-clad opponent said. "Perhaps I will see you on the other side someday."

He thrust his blazing sword forward, and she could see that the tip of the blade was heading directly for her heart. With her arms caught in the skeletons' paralyzing grips, she could not block the strike with one of her gauntlets.

So instead she kicked him. Using the very undead things who were holding her captive for the fatal blow for support, she lashed out with both legs, striking him right in the chest with every ounce of strength she could muster.

She found the loud scream he released as he went flying backwards through the air surprisingly satisfying. The skeletons holding her fell apart as her foe's concentration was broken.

He landed some fifty meters away from the shoreline with a loud, dull _klunk!_ sound, sand spraying in every direction from the point where he crashed down upon the beach. Dazedly, he sat up… and his eyes widened when a loop of golden rope suddenly fell over him.

Wonder Girl surged forward, flying just a few feet above the ground but moving at nearly the speed of sound. In a fraction of an instant she had passed him, and in a fraction of an instant after that, all the slack had run out from the magic lasso.

He screamed, more in anger than in fear, as he was inexorably pulled after her at an exceedingly high velocity.

Wonder Girl continued to fly forward until she found what she wanted, then she stopped abruptly. Her lasso, and the person at the end of it, naturally would've kept moving even if she'd done nothing after that, the laws of physics being what they were. However, she gave her lasso a fierce pull to ensure that more than just inertia propelled her enemy forward.

He slammed into the crumbling, abandoned building Wonder Girl had picked out for his involuntary flight's point of termination with stupendous force. Chunks of concrete flew everywhere, and a great cloud of dust turned his midnight black armor gray.

Still, despite this punishment, he sat up almost immediately, albeit with a loud groan.

The Amazon was a little shocked by his resilience.

_**Never**__ show your enemy fear,_ Hippolyta's voice echoed in her mind.

"Surrender," Wonder Girl commanded as she gently touched down on the sand, some distance away from him.

She gave her lasso a threatening tug.

He responded by reaching up and grabbing hold of the golden rope with one gauntleted fist.

Fire began to travel along the length of the lasso, like electric current down a copper wire. Before Wonder Girl could react, her own weapon had been turned against her, and she could feel intense heat scorching at her skin, roasting the flesh of her hands.

A cry of pain and surprised escaped her, and she almost let go of the lasso. Certainly, it was the natural reaction in such a situation.

Then she remembered Shinji and the Commander. Both of them had endured pain just like this for her, and neither of them had any superhuman abilities. Surely, she could bear this agony as well.

Clenching her teeth, she began to pull on her lasso. The armored man quickly scrambled to his feet and tried to resist, but she was able to drag him across the sand in spite of his efforts. He increased the intensity of the fire. Wonder Girl felt tears of pain spring to the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She had known pain before. Pain had been her intimate companion during her long recovery from the disastrous activation experiment that had rendered her unable to pilot when the Third Angel had arrived. This was nothing intolerable or even new to her.

All the same, when she'd finally gotten her opponent close enough, she was pleased to release her hold on the lasso and punch him in the side of the head.

The helm of black metal he wore rang like a bell once she hit it with her fist. Wonder Girl decided she liked the sound enough to hit him again.

She struck him again and again, raining blows down upon her black clad enemy, giving his once pristine armor the look of a partially crumpled soda can. He was sent reeling beneath this furious assault, unable to collect his wits quickly enough to retaliate.

Finally, one particularly fierce blow caused him to collapse to the sand in the shadow of one of the abandoned buildings. Kneeling down over him, Wonder Girl quickly pinned his wrists to the ground.

"Yield," she said firmly. "You have lost."

"No," he said, his tone triumphant despite the position he was in. "You have."

He gestured with a small nod of his head at something behind her. Warily, Wonder Girl slowly turned her head. She felt her blood go cold at what she saw.

Both Unit One and Two had been defeated. The former had been partially buried head first in a nearby rice patty, its legs sticking up into the air, and Unit Two was in a similarly undignified position where the sea met the sand. The two Angels were making their way toward the city…and she could see that a large bomber above all of it had just dropped something rather large from its bomb bay before rapidly breaking off.

_N2 mine,_ she thought.

She turned back to her enemy just in time to see him starting to lose substance. Before her surprised eyes, his form lost color and darkened. In a second, there was nothing for her fingers to keep pressed to the sand; he had become a completely intangible shadow.

"Goodbye, Wonder Girl. We'll meet again," he spoke, and his voice sounded as though it was coming from a great distance away.

Then he seemed to melt into the shadow of the building they were under and was gone.

The blue haired superwoman didn't waste time wondering what had just happened, although the event had left her sorely confused. Knowing that an N2 bomb would be detonating near her position very soon, she flew back to where she'd left her magic lasso and quickly scooped up the weapon. Then she began to fly away from the scene as quickly as her enchanted boots would take her.

_Must go faster,_ she thought. _Must go faster…_

The N2 bomb struck the ground and exploded, and Wonder Girl's world turned white.

* * *

The images projected onto the wall were ones of failure, absolute, miserable, humiliating failure.

"Today, at 10:58 a.m., Unit One was attacked by one of the targets, Alpha, which had separated from the other target, two kilometers off Saruga Bay," Maya said. "Twenty seconds later, Unit Two was stopped by target Beta's attack."

He pressed a button on the projector, slowing slides of Units One and Two. Unit Two had been buried head first in a rice patty, its legs sticking out in a way that would have been comical under other circumstances. Unit One had also been buried head first, though in the sand.

Shinji had mostly stood there, caught in the grip of shock while Asuka paid the price of her reckless charge, and by the time he'd joined in on the fight, their enemies had largely subdued Unit Two.

"It was, to put it simply, an unsuccessful engagement," Maya said. "Perhaps the Project-E chairperson summed it up best…"

"This is pathetic!" a recording of Akagi's voice exclaimed.

Shinji grimaced, wondering why someone had gone to the effort of recording that so it could be played for them, as though they didn't realize just how badly they'd messed up.

"This is all your fault!" Asuka exploded, pointing an accusing finger at Shinji. "You totally screwed up my debut battle!"

Taken aback, Shinji just gaped at her for a second before he responded, unable to believe she was trying to pin the blame for this on him. "You…you were the one who ignored procedures!" he snapped.

"You look like a beached whale!" Asuka snapped.

"Your EVA isn't exactly in a dignified position, either," Shinji growled.

"At 11:06 a.m., NERV transferred control of the engagement to UN Secondary Force," Maya continued.

"We've been completely humiliated," the Vice Commander said.

"At 11:10 a.m., the UN forces made an attack with an N2 mine," Maya said, showing slides of the explosion, as well as what parts of the coast had been obliterated.

"We'll have to redraw the map again!" Fuyutski exclaimed, disgusted.

"They succeeded in burning off 28 percent of the target's structural substance," Maya said, showing an image of the charred and cracked pair of Angels.

"It kinda looks dead," Asuka said.

"This is only temporary. The second attack is merely a matter of time," Fuyutski said.

"Well, at least we've got time to regroup and plan our next move, and you can't ask for much more than that," Kaji pointed out.

The younger man's cheerfulness did nothing to improve the Vice Commander's mood. He got to his feet and gave the pilots a very stern look. "All right, you two, just what do you think your job is?"

"Piloting EVA," Asuka said.

"Wrong!" Fuyutski snapped. "It's to defeat the Angels! NERV does not exist to make grotesque public spectacles! Therefore, the two of you will learn to work together!"

"Why should we?!" Shinji and Asuka demanded at the same time.

The Vice Commander sighed tiredly. "Enough," he said.

He pressed a button on his seat, and descended into the floor and to another area of the base via one of the many personal lifts scattered throughout the complex.

"Why does everyone get so angry here?" Asuka asked.

"Adults have a thing about credibility," Kaji said, looking vaguely amused by the whole situation.

"Hey, where's Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Clearing things up," Kaji answered with a sardonic look.

Shinji grimaced, having a pretty good idea what that meant, and that there was a very strong chance that he'd soon be listening to Misato ranting on and on about how the world would be better off if every piece of paperwork in the world was thrown into a single giant shredder, along with all the bureaucrats who had produced it.

Then again, that might be the best case scenario. It was certainly preferable to getting lectured about his failure to immediately spring into action upon the realization that Asuka had put her leg into a proverbial bear trap, which was also something Misato might do.

Pondering these and other gloomy possibilities, Shinji soon decided that he had no particular desire to go straight back to the apartment. However, he couldn't exactly hang out at the base unless he had something to do there.

"Excuse me, Ibuki-san," Shinji approached Maya as everyone was leaving the room. "Do you know where Rei…where Pilot Ayanami is?"

He hadn't lost all his trepidation of water yet, but another swimming lesson was preferable to the reception he was likely to get at home. Besides, he liked to spend time with Rei…and perhaps his usually quiet libido enjoyed the sight of her in a swimsuit, even if she always did wear a modest one piece.

Maya responded to the Third Child's inquiry with a small, somewhat indulgent smile. "No, I'm sorry," she said. "I don't think she came in to the base today."

"Really?" he asked, more than a little surprised that Rei hadn't come in while a battle was at hand, regardless of the state of her EVA.

Maya shrugged. "Well, it's not as if she could do anything, so she wasn't required to even check in."

Shinji nodded. "I understand. Thanks."

Feeling disappointed, he headed for the door, wondering just where Ayanami was.

_Wherever she is, she can't be having a worse time than me,_ he thought morosely as left the room.

* * *

Wonder Girl was still shaking badly as she returned to her apartment building, her path through the air unsteady and slow. She almost completely forgot about having to avoid the gazes of Section Two, but fortunately the agents watching her apartment building were being even more lax in their duties than usual and she was able to just slip in through her window with minimal difficulty.

Practically collapsing on the floor once she was safe within her domicile, the blue haired superwoman quickly removed her costume with trembling hands. It felt wrong to wear the armor of the champion of the Amazons while she felt so weak.

After forcing herself to deposit her armaments back inside Pandora's Box, Rei went to her dresser and withdrew some clothing. She intended to change into one of her school uniforms, but she found herself running out of energy and willpower after getting her bra and panties on. Satisfied that this was enough, she went heading toward her bed.

Only to stop as she felt a now familiar presence behind her. Turning, the blue haired girl found herself standing before the goddess of wisdom.

"Athena," she said, already steeling herself for a reprimand.

"Rei, are you all right?" Athena asked.

"I was defeated," Rei replied softly.

"Never mind that now," Athena said, approaching her chosen champion. There was more open emotion in her voice than Rei had ever heard before; Athena was usually far more guarded. "Are you well?"

"I am not injured, only weary," Rei answered. "The N2 mine detonation left me unconscious for some time."

"We are fortunate that no one found you and removed your tiara," Athena mused, already putting her usual mask of stoic dignity back in place.

"I was defeated," Rei said again, looking down at her feet. "Are you not disappointed in me?"

Athena placed two fingers under Rei's chin and raised her head so their gazes met. The goddess's gray eyes were unusually gentle.

"You lost a battle, but not the war," she said. "And defeats tend to be a greater source of wisdom than victories. Learn from this, and I will be well satisfied."

"But who was that who attacked me while NERV engaged the Angels?" Rei asked.

Athena frowned. "Of whom do you speak?"

"You do not know?"

Athena shook her head. "Even we Olympians are not omniscient. Tell me of the battle."

So Rei did, describing the armored foe she'd done battle with in great detail. Athena's brow soon drew down in a look of deep anger.

"So, Hades has gone so far as to send one of his sons here to try and impede your efforts," Athena said. "Damnation. And there is little even Zeus can threaten to do to a god already banished from Olympus."

"He was not as powerful as I am," Rei said. "His armor made him far heavier, but I am stronger than he is."

"Of course, even the son of a god as powerful as Hades cannot hope to match the raw might of the Wonder Girl," Athena said, this knowledge doing little to cheer her up. "But sheer strength has never been the most fearsome trait possessed by Hades or his offspring. No, you were defeated today because of your enemy's strategy, not because of his power. Your new foe's cunning is his deadliest weapon. You must remember that if you are to have victory."

"I will," Rei pledged.

"Good," Athena said, nodding with approval. "Then I will leave you now. You need to rest."

"Wait," Rei said, and Athena stopped and turned back to her. "What should I do now?"

"Recover," Athena answered. "Look toward the next struggle, and never forget to fight your enemy with your mind as well as your fists. On _and_ off the battlefield."

* * *

"Well, Ikari?" Takai asked as Gendo watched the private battle between himself and Wonder Girl on a usually hidden screen in the wall of the Commander's office. "How's that for a debut performance?"

The smug look upon the demigod's face was unmistakable, and there was a certain level of insolence evident in his posture that instantly made Gendo decide he didn't like the boy much.

It didn't help that Takai had literally appeared inside his office from nowhere only a few minutes ago.

"She bested you in combat," Gendo pointed out.

"But I was the one who won our battle," Takai pointed out. "I did as you asked and kept Wonder Girl out of the fight with the Angel. Pity you weren't able to capitalize on the opportunity."

"We already have plans in place for the next engagement," Gendo replied coolly. "It will be your task to ensure that Wonder Girl doesn't interfere again, assuming she's still alive."

"Oh, she's alive," Takai said. "You haven't gotten rid of the need for my services so easily, Ikari."

Gendo grunted in reply. He was far more skeptical on the issue of the girl's survival, but he wasn't about to send away the demigod until he was absolutely certain she was dead.

"Leave me," he ordered. "I have things to do."

"As you wish," Takai said with a small smirk, then melted into the shadows again and was gone.

* * *

The question of how she could fight her enemy with her mind was one that confounded Rei at first. It wasn't until a moment of inspiration made her think about what she herself would be afraid of in his place that a solution presented itself.

The thing she most feared happening to her was that her secret identity would be exposed, and while she did not think that her enemy's identity being revealed would mean the same dire consequences for him as it would for her, she felt certain that the knowledge of who he was beneath his helmet could serve as a weapon against him. So she spent much of the next two days combing through public records, searching for anyone who might be her as yet nameless enemy.

She concentrated her search on those few people who were newly arrived to Tokyo-3, as well as people living in the city who were of Greek descent. However, her efforts ultimately turned up nothing, and when Aphrodite appeared one day and advocated that she abandon her task at least temporarily and go see Shinji, Rei would have been pleased to agree.

Unfortunately, Shinji had not been coming into school since the battle. When she inquired about his whereabouts to Captain Katsuragi, Rei was informed that the Third Child was in the middle of an intensive training regimen and that he could not be disturbed.

This knowledge irritated her, but she decided to content herself to wait patiently until she could see Shinji again. It would not do to have the pilot of Unit One be unprepared when the Angels had recovered, especially since there was someone about who clearly wished to prevent Wonder Girl from assisting in any battle against them.

Then, the very next day, Captain Katsuragi met Rei while they were at the base and ordered the First Child to accompany her back to her apartment. Confused but not displeased, Rei agreed at once, and the two of them were soon at Misato's apartment building.

"How is the training going?" Rei ventured to ask as they rode the elevator up to the captain's floor.

"Not well," Misato said grimly.

"So, you wish my assistance?" Rei asked, trying to puzzle out the reason for the Operations Director's abrupt turn around.

"Oh no, you're just here to observe," Misato assured her, but there was a glint in the officer's brown eyes that made Rei suspicious.

The elevator door opened, and the two of them approached Misato's home. However, they were not the only ones there. The class representative was standing at the door, along with Aida and Suzuhara. All three of them appeared very distressed, and as they drew closer, Rei saw why.

Standing just inside the doorway were Shinji and Asuka, and the two of them were wearing matching outfits that seemed to consist of black bodysuits and short T-shirts which were decorated with musical note designs.

_Soryu is here?_ The First Child thought, her mouth compressing itself into a thin line. _Has she been here all this time?_

The image of Shinji alone with the redhead for days suddenly invaded Rei's mind: the two of them living together, training together, eating together, and doing it all in those outfits.

_Who selected them, I wonder? _Rei thought darkly as her red gaze swept critically over Asuka, noting with displeasure the way the garment hugged the Second Child's figure.

She suddenly blinked, surprise overtaking her as she realized just how abruptly this wave of hostility had swept over her. She had never had such a visceral reaction to anything short of the possibility of her imminent death.

_I should ask Athena about this later,_ Rei thought. Then, after a moment of thought, quickly changed her mind. _Or perhaps it would be better to ask Aphrodite._

"Um, excuse me," Suzuhara said to Captain Katsuragi, jarring Rei from her thoughts, "could you explain this please?"

"Of course," Katsuragi replied cheerfully. "Come inside, and I'll tell you all everything. Shinji, Asuka, you two get back to work."

The two of them groaned, oddly in almost perfect unison, and then disappeared back into the apartment. The other teenagers followed, Katsuragi herding them inside, and they got to see just what exactly comprised Shinji and Soryu's training.

The two of them were on some kind of dance mats, with pads that lit up as they went along. They both had a pair of headphones on, so whatever choreography they were attempting to perform was apparently set to music. Unfortunately, as Rei watched, the machine the dance mats were connected to registered a mistake, and they had to start over, even though they'd barely started.

Katsuragi, clearly in no hurry to start explaining the reasoning behind the bizarre training regimen, bid her guests to sit down and got them all a can of fruit juice from the refrigerator before she sat down and joined them. The machine had reported another error before she had finished with this task, forcing Shinji and Soryu to begin once again.

"Okay, guys, here's the scoop," Katsuragi said as she sat down and cracked open a tall can of beer. "As you probably know, the last battle didn't go well, and the military had to nuke the Angel in order to buy us enough time to repair the EVA Units and get ready for round two."

Her audience responded with nods.

"The eggheads over at NERV have determined that even after it splits in two, the Seventh Angel is still one being, it's just in two bodies," she said. "And no, that doesn't make much sense to me, either, but those monsters usually don't." She added before anyone could ask how that could be possible.

Over in the living room, the machine buzzed again, announcing that the two pilots using it had made yet another error.

"Anyway, the two halves of the Angel are always perfectly coordinated with one another," Katsuragi continued. "So we've come to the realization that our attack has to be perfectly coordinated as well if we want to beat them. So we're having Shinji and Asuka do this synchronization training."

Looks of understanding appeared on the three non-pilots' faces, and Suzuhara chuckled. "You should have told us about this, Shinji," he said. "It would have kept us from jumping to conclusions."

Aida and the class representative each added a remark of their own, but Rei barely heard them. Her attention, which had never fully been on Katsuragi and the conversation at the kitchen table to begin with, was becoming more and more focused on the two other pilots as they struggled with their routine.

The two of them appeared to only be getting worse as the choreography the more times they attempted to do that, if it was possible, and Rei quickly realized why. The Second Child's pace seemed to increase slightly every time they attempted to perform the routine, and Shinji obviously couldn't keep up. Rei decided at once that this was not a poor reflection on the Third Child, however; Soryu was moving with truly blazing speed.

The machine sounded again, and the redhead released an undignified cry of frustration, getting to her feet and throwing her headphones across the room. Before anyone could say anything, she kicked the still struggling Shinji right in the ribs, knocking him over.

"That's it!" Soryu shouted. "I've had it! There's no way I can possibly be expected to synchronize with this…this animated turnip!"

Rei's red eyes narrowed, and the vision her imagination had conjured of the past few days Shinji had spent in the presence of the Second Child abruptly began to change. Where before she had pictured the two of them becoming close, with Soryu shamelessly using every opportunity to flaunt herself in front of Shinji, now she envisioned the Second Child abusing Shinji at every turn. Rei felt the fears that had been clawing at her since she'd arrived at the apartment transform into an anger that was so potent she could barely keep herself from getting up, walking over to the Second Child, and giving the redhead a display of her Amazonian strength.

Katsuragi, however, looked almost pleased by this turn of events, Rei noted with disapproval.

"So you're giving up?" the Operations Director asked, a shrewd sort of smile on her face.

"Of course not. You don't have anyone else to do this," Soryu proclaimed, placing her hands on her hips and tossing her hair back with a flick of her head, the picture of total confidence.

Katsuragi responded with a thoughtful noise. "Rei," she said. "Why don't you and Shinji try it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rei agreed at once and retrieved the headphones Asuka had flung across the room, eager to show up the Second Child.

Too eager, it turned out. The First Child was full of a pent up irritation that she had little experience in coping with, and it impeded her ability to concentrate and curtail her superhuman abilities. Despite her best efforts to control herself and synchronize with Shinji's movements, the machine's obnoxious buzzer soon sounded because she was moving too quickly.

"There, you see?" Soryu asked triumphantly. "Even she can't bring herself down to his level!"

Rei turned a cold glare on the Second Child. The redhead didn't notice.

Meanwhile, Katsuragi's sly expression had become thoughtful at this development.

"Asuka, try it with Rei," she ordered.

"All right," the redhead agreed gamely enough, and confiscated Shinji's headphones from him.

The First Child was tempted to deliberately fail this time, but at the same time, Soryu's obvious superior attitude irritated her for reasons she couldn't quite qualify. Rei decided to show her that there were others who could keep up with her.

Still, keeping up with the redhead's pace took a surprising amount of effort for her, and Rei found herself wondering just what NERV Germany's training regimen was like.

The redhead suddenly came to an abrupt stop, even though the machine's buzzer had not sounded, and Rei wondered if it had become unplugged somehow.

Then she saw Shinji giving them both a surprised look. Rei took off her headphones just as he began to speak.

"You…you did it," he said, surprised.

"Man, they're fast," she heard Suzuhara say quietly to Aida, who nodded in agreement.

"I told you _I _wasn't the problem," Soryu said smugly, which caused Shinji's shoulders to slump and Rei to bristle.

"I have to call NERV," Misato announced. "Shinji, Asuka, you two take five. Rei, please just wait here. I hope the rest of you don't mind if I ask you to see yourselves out?"

"Of course not, Katsuragi-san," the class representative answered politely for herself and the two boys.

A couple of minutes later, the pilots' three classmates had departed, and Katsuragi was speaking with NERV on the telephone. Soryu promptly claimed the bathroom for a quick shower, leaving Shinji and Rei alone.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Shinji suggested they go out onto the veranda. Rei immediately accepted the offer, and they stepped past the glass doors and into the open air.

"I am sorry," Rei said.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Shinji replied. "After all, the world is literally at stake here. I guess I just wasn't up to the job. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. It looks like you're going to be stuck with this responsibility because I'm not good enough."

He appeared so despondent as he said this that Rei wished she could somehow excuse his performance, preferably by shifting the blame to Soryu. However, she could come up with no logical method of doing so.

A dreary silence descended upon them, and it lasted until Katsuragi came up to them and told Rei that she had to report to NERV headquarters.

* * *

An hour later, Rei Ayanami found herself inside an entry plug for the first time since the disastrous activation experiment with Unit Zero of months ago. However, she was not in the prototype Evangelion, which had not been fully repaired yet, but the test type.

She honestly wasn't sure if being in Unit One rather than Unit Zero was comforting or frightening. The purple Evangelion was not the one that hurt her so badly, but it too had gone berserk in the past, and it had a reputation for being more active and seemingly self-aware than the other EVA Units.

So though she did not show it, Rei was afraid.

"Are you ready to proceed, Rei?" Dr. Akagi's voice came over the plug's radio.

"Yes," Rei answered softly.

"Good," Akagi replied. "Commencing first stage neural links."

A soft, familiar humming sound that seemed to be coming from all around her met her ears. The equally familiar sensation of Evangelion gently "tugging" at her mind as the process of synchronizing with it began to make itself felt, and Rei felt her heartbeat accelerate.

Rei was not a person who scared easily, but the disastrous activation experiment had rattled her more than she had ever shown. The horrible pain that came from being thrown wildly about inside the plug, knowing what was happening and being unable to do anything about it, and the certainty that she was going to die…no, she did not want to endure that again.

Of course, she knew that she would not be hurt even if Unit One did go berserk as Unit Zero had, not now that she was the Wonder Girl. But that made little difference to her; for once, her emotions were overriding her sense.

_Perhaps I can request that this experiment be terminated,_ she thought.

She knew that neither Akagi, nor the Commander for that matter, would ever agree to such a thing. She had a duty to perform and she had to do it, but that didn't mean she didn't want out right that very moment in the worst way.

"Commencing second stage neural links," Akagi said.

As the synchronization jumped up another level, Rei felt her body start to tingle slightly. This was expected, but what took her by surprise was the smell that the LCL seemed to have suddenly acquired. The aroma of blood that it always had seemed to fade into the background, with Shinji's mild, clean scent coming to the fore.

She found that it calmed her for some reason. In seconds, her heartbeat had slowed, and the nearly overwhelming urge to escape from the plug had abated.

"Commencing third stage neural links," Akagi said.

Unit One finally activated, and no alarm klaxons went off. The Evangelion did not begin to thrash and pull free of its restraints. It did not fly into a murderous rage and attempt to attack the control room.

It just stood there, obediently awaiting a command from its pilot. Rei resisted the urge to release a sigh of relief.

"Well, it looks like everything's okay," Akagi said, but her voice sounded distant, as though her mouth was too far from the microphone in the control room, and Rei realized that the bottle blond scientist wasn't speaking to her and had only accidentally left the communications channel open. "Her sync ratio's only a little lower than Shinji's."

"I have to say I'm surprised," Ibuki replied, her voice coming into the plug so faintly that Rei had to strain her ears to make it out. "I didn't expect any of the Children to be able to pilot a different EVA."

"It's because of how similar Unit One's neural patterns are to Unit Zero's," Akagi replied. "We could never play at mixing and matching pilots and EVA's with Unit Two or the Second Child."

Rei blinked, immediately realizing the implications of this statement. Katsuragi had never entertained the possibility of replacing Soryu, she had only been trying to cajole the Second Child into trying harder to coordinate her effort's with Shinji's. And because of this attempt, Shinji had instead been ejected from the mission.

But there was nothing to be done about it. Shinji had been correct when he'd said the world was at stake, and Rei knew that was the reason why Katsuragi was reorganizing the operation, not out of malice. As unpleasant as the whole situation was, she would have to go along with it.

That didn't mean she had to like it, of course, and for perhaps the first time in her life, Rei found herself resentful of her duty to NERV.

* * *

She had to remain inside of Unit One's plug for nearly an hour as Akagi ran tests just to be absolutely sure that the First Child could pilot it in combat. Rei didn't mind; she was in no hurry to leave and inform Shinji that she would be replacing him.

Yet even Dr. Akagi's data gathering did not last forever, and she was eventually released and told to go back to Misato's apartment.

Shinji was able to return to school following his replacement in the mission by Rei, though he didn't entirely return to his usual routine. He continued to sleep out in the living room along with them in some kind of show of solidarity, even though his troubles were rewarded with accusations of being a pervert from the Second Child.

If it wasn't for her guilt over the position she had inadvertently put Shinji in, Rei might have actually enjoyed her stay at the Katsuragi residence quite a bit. The apartment was clean and in far better condition than the one where she normally resided. And though the Second Child's attitude toward Shinji hadn't improved much, his removal from the mission made him the target of her ire far less often. And Rei found that Soryu treated her with much more respect than the Third Child received.

The real draw to living in the apartment with the other pilots, however, was the food. Shinji had taken it upon himself to keep his fellow pilots properly fed while they endured the strange training, and he was putting all his culinary skills to the task. Rei, who had never gone to any effort to expose her taste buds to a variety of foods, consumed the vegetarian dishes Shinji prepared for her with a level of gusto that was unheard of for her. Even Soryu paid him a few grudging, left handed compliments.

For a few days, Rei's life was a tiring but pleasant routine, half bizarre training regimen and half a nearly normal home life the likes of which she had never known before. Then an unexpected delivery came.

* * *

"Well, I'm off," Katsuragi announced one morning.

Shinji had already departed for school, and the Operations Director was just about to leave the apartment in the care of the two female EVA pilots. However, before she could get out the door, the buzzer rang.

Answering the door, Katsuragi was surprised to be faced with a young woman who looked like she should be strutting down a runway but was instead dressed in the uniform of a commercial delivery service.

"Delivery for you," the woman announced, indicating a small metal canister that sat by her feet.

"Delivery?" Katsuragi frowned, squatting down to examine the container. "There has to be some mistake. I didn't order…is this a keg?"

"Looks like it to me," the deliverywoman said. "My paperwork says it came all the way from a German brewery, too. Kept carefully refrigerated the whole trip."

"Really? Huh, maybe it's a gift from someone," Katsuragi said as she straightened up. Then she frowned. "Wait, this isn't from Kaji, is it?"

"No, ma'am," the deliverywoman said. "My papers say that it's from a Mr. D. I. Onysus."

Katsuragi blinked. "I don't know anyone by that name."

The delivery woman shrugged. "Must be a fan of yours or something," she concluded. "So, do you want it, or not?"

"Of course I want it," Katsuragi replied with a grin.

"Sign here, please," the deliverywoman said, thrusting a clipboard forward.

Katsuragi took it and quickly scribbled her signature on the dotted line, then turned to Rei. "Could you make a place for this in the refrigerator, please?" she asked, picking up the small keg and placing in on the kitchen table with an absurd reverence. "I really have to get going. I'm already running late."

"Of course," Rei agreed.

"If there's too much Yebisu in the regular fridge, just kick Pen-Pen out of his," Katsuragi said. "Well, bye."

She quickly rushed out, leaving Rei and the deliverywoman alone.

"So," the deliverywoman spoke once Katsuragi was safety out of earshot, "where's that foxy redhead your Shinji is now sharing a domicile with?"

Rei's mouth twisted into a small scowl at the wording of the inquiry. "She is in the shower, Aphrodite," she answered as she began to make room in the refrigerator for the small keg. "The Second is not very good about waking promptly when she's supposed to. We have a few minutes to speak."

"Good," the love goddess said. "Because there's quite a bit we have to talk about. First of all, this 'sexy deliverywoman' act is starting to get old. You really need to start spending more time around beautiful but weak willed women I can use as temporary avatars."

"I will see what I can do," Rei replied coolly. "Aphrodite, why did you advise that I tell the Second Child that I would like to be her friend?"

"You _don't_ wish to be her friend?" the love goddess asked innocently.

"No," Rei responded firmly. "She is rude, obnoxious, and she is frequently nasty to Shinji."

Aphrodite shrugged. "Then you don't have to be her friend," she said simply. "It was only ever a suggestion that you befriend her."

This was evading Rei's original question, and the First Child realized as much instantly. "But why—"

"Never mind Asuka now," Aphrodite said. "Let's talk about Shinji."

"All right," Rei agreed at once, deciding that the Third Child was a much more important subject than whatever justification the love goddess had had for trying to spark a friendship between her and the Second Child.

"Now, his little male ego has taken a bad bruising," Aphrodite said. "It happens to the best of men sometimes, and it's always annoying as anything when it does, I can tell you. For all that men like to think of themselves as tough, they can be remarkably sensitive, especially if a woman shows them up at anything. And they never try anything with a woman when their ego's bruised, so that's piling one annoyance on top of another. And—"

"All right," Rei spoke up, realizing that the love goddess was working herself into a good rant.

"Yes," Aphrodite said, seeming to regain control of herself. "In any case, Shinji's in need of some reassurance. Here's what you do."

Rei listened intently as the love goddess gave her instructions, carefully memorizing every word she spoke.

"Have you got all that?" Aphrodite asked when she was finished.

"Yes," Rei answered.

"Good," Aphrodite replied. "Because…"

The sound of running water coming from the bathroom suddenly stopped. Soryu would doubtlessly emerge soon.

"I have more things to ask about before you go," Rei said hurriedly. "I do not believe that Soryu living with Shinji is a positive thing. I was nearly overcome with hostility when I learned of the situation."

"That was jealousy, my dear," Aphrodite replied with a smirk. "You dislike other women being near Shinji. And the situation certainly isn't good for our plans. We may have to accelerate them, but for now, it's not an immediate concern. Asuka and Shinji aren't exactly on the verge of losing themselves to the throes of passion with one another."

That was true, Rei had to admit, yet it didn't quell her intense dislike of the prospect of Soryu being in such close proximity with Shinji for the foreseeable future.

"Now, I must go," Aphrodite said. "Hopefully we'll be able to speak further after this is over. Good day, Rei."

And with that she departed, leaving Rei alone with the Second Child.

* * *

"Are you still all gung ho about this?" Soryu asked the next morning as Rei went over to the dance mats. "We did the whole routine perfectly a half a dozen times in a row yesterday!"

"It would be unwise not to take full advantage of the time we have before the Angel renews its attack," Rei replied simply.

The redhead shrugged. "All right, I can respect that," she said. "In fact, I can respect you, period."

"Really?" Rei asked, indifferent to the Second Child's opinion.

"Yeah," Soryu replied. "You're a quiet one, First, but you're a much better wingman than that baka Shinji. It's obvious the pampered little boy never would've been a pilot if he wasn't the boss's son."

Rei's eyes narrowed. "That 'pampered little boy' was forced to pilot an Evangelion against an Angel the same day he first saw an Evangelion," she said in a flat, hard voice.

Soryu blinked. "What? Why?" she demanded, incredulous.

"There was no one else, except me," Rei said, still in that voice which was all the more cutting because it was completely toneless. "And I was grievously injured because Unit Zero went berserk when I attempted to activate it. The 'pampered little boy' risked his life to protect me."

For the first time since Rei had known her, Soryu had the good grace to look abashed.

"Rei…Ayanami…I…" the redhead sputtered, clearly at a loss for something to say in response to what Rei had just told her.

"We should begin," Rei said curtly, putting on her headphones and getting onto her hands and feet on the mat.

Soryu hesitated for a long moment, then she too got down on her hands and feet and the two started to practice the routine again.

* * *

The evening before the attack was to finally commence, Katsuragi announced that she was going to be spending the entire night at NERV headquarters overseeing some last minute preparations. The three pilots were left alone in the apartment.

"Finally! With her gone we can actually sleep in our own damn rooms," Soryu proclaimed after her evening shower, gathering up her blankets and heading for her bedroom.

"Should we not continue with all aspects of the synchronization training?" Rei asked. "There is only one more night before the operation commences."

Soryu waved a dismissive hand. "We've got this thing down, and anyway I never saw how sleeping a few feet away from each other was really supposed to help anything," she said. "If you want to stay camped out in the living room, you're welcome to, but I'm sleeping in my room tonight."

And with that, she walked into her bedroom and slid the door shut after her.

Shinji released a small, nervous cough. "Uh, Rei, do you want me to go to my room, too?" he offered, anxious at the idea of sleeping in the same room with the blue haired girl without the presence of the Second Child.

"That is not necessary," Rei said unconcernedly. "We should rest."

"A-All right," Shinji stammered.

He shut off the lights, and the two of them climbed into the futons they'd been using. Rei, however, was not planning on sleeping just yet, even though she was the one who'd said they needed to rest.

"Are you awake, Shinji?" Rei spoke softly, rolling onto her side. This position had her looking at his back.

"Yes," he replied.

"Shinji…" she paused a moment to mentally go over everything Aphrodite had told her to say.

The goddess of love had put words to everything Rei wished to convey and everything she claimed Shinji needed to hear with an ease that had frankly shocked the First Child. Rei remembered Aphrodite's instructions word for word, but experience had taught her that this sort of thing could still be surprisingly difficult.

"I wanted you to know that I do not think less of you, just because Captain Katsuragi pulled you off this mission," she continued.

"But now you're in the line of fire because I couldn't do it," Shinji argued.

"You put yourself in danger to protect me when you first arrived at NERV," Rei countered. "And I will be fine."

"How do you know that?" Shinji asked.

"I simply do," Rei replied, wishing she could tell him that she had endured an N2 blast and had ultimately been none the worse for the wear.

"But I screwed up…" Shinji mumbled.

"You were unable to synchronize your movements with Soryu's in an unholy union of Twister and Dance Dance Revolution," Rei recited the line Aphrodite had given her. "As I said, I do not think less of you for it."

He finally turned around so he was facing her. The pale moonlight reflected off his dark blue eyes.

"Thank you, Rei," he said softly, giving her a small smile.

The First Child realized that she was smiling back at him, without having forced herself to do so. It occurred to her that no one had ever paid her words of gratitude and so obviously meant them before.

"You are welcome," she replied. "Good night."

"Good night, Rei."

* * *

After the exchange which seemed to have pulled Shinji out of the wretched state he'd been in for the last several days, Rei had assumed that the night's events were at an end.

She was incorrect.

During the very early hours of the morning, well before the sun had risen, Rei felt herself awaken partially as the apartment's toilet flushed. She looked at Shinji, and upon confirming he was still present, she deduced it must be Soryu who was using the lavatory.

Satisfied, Rei closed her eyes and started to drift back into a sound sleep.

Before she could do so, however, the Second Child lay down, appropriately enough, between the First and Third.

"Soryu?" Rei mumbled groggily.

The redhead muttered something too slurred to be comprehensible in what seemed like a response. However, Rei soon realized that Soryu's eyes were closed. She was dead asleep.

_Did she sleep walk here?_ Rei wondered, not entirely sure if that was possible. Somnambulism, like dreaming, was a nighttime phenomena that she had heard of but never experienced herself.

At a loss for what to do in this situation, and not completely awake yet herself, Rei stared dully at the Second Child's sleeping form. It was amazing how innocent and sweet the redhead looked while she slumbered, the First Child mused, considering what she was like when she was awake.

Then Soryu started muttering in her sleep, and Rei was surprised to note that twin streams of liquid were beginning to stream down her face.

_Tears?_ She wondered.

"Mama…" Soryu mumbled. "No...Mama…"

Rei suddenly realized that Shinji had sat up, and that he was peering down at Soryu. The First Child looked up at him.

"What should we do?" she whispered. "Should we wake her?"

"No," Shinji replied, covering Soryu with his own blanket. It was a tender gesture that Rei would have been irritated to seem him display for the redhead under any other circumstances. "Let's just go back to sleep. I think it would be for the best if we acted like we never saw this."

"Very well," Rei agreed, automatically trusting his judgment.

She certainly had no idea what the appropriate response to this situation was, after all.

"Good night again, Shinji," she said, putting her head down.

"Night, Rei," he replied.

* * *

For some reason, Rei had suspected that the Second Child would be different the next morning, as if the part of the redhead that the Amazon had caught a glimpse of had only sprung into existence that night and would immediately start to influence her.

However, Soryu behaved the same way that morning as she had yesterday, as loud, brash, and obnoxious as ever, and Rei realized her expectations had been foolish. Clearly, the facet of the Second Child which she and Shinji had glimpsed last night had existed since before they had met her, and she just kept it hidden most of the time.

It was rather confusing, Rei decided, but she put it all out of her mind as she climbed into Unit One's entry plug. At the moment, she had to concentrate only on the mission.

She waited silently while the EVA activated around her. It felt different than Unit Zero, but not in a bad way. The prototype Evangelion was all pent up hostility and tightly controlled rage. Unit One wasn't exactly friendly, but it seemed more…wary of her than anything else, as though the Evangelion wasn't sure if she was an ally or an enemy.

A communications window labeled FROM EVA-02 appeared on Rei's HUD.

"Ready, Ayanami?" Soryu asked, practically bouncing in her seat with her excitement.

"Yes," Rei answered.

"Good," Soryu replied, grinning. "Let's do this."

Rei just nodded in response, and Soryu shut the communications channel.

Seconds later, the music started.

"EVA Units launch!" Captain Katsuragi commanded.

And they did. The two cybernetic titans both went hurtling toward the surface with incredible speed. The restraints were all released prior to their arrival on the surface, so when the lifts came to an abrupt halt, the two Evangelions kept on going up.

Rei saw the Angel nearby, and instantly, her mind went blank as her body took over.

The days and days of continuous training had, in essence, been little more than an extended cram session. In a week from the day, or perhaps two at the most, the two girls wouldn't have been able to perform the routine in perfect sync again if their lives depended upon it.

But that day, at that moment, it came as naturally as breathing. Rei was barely conscious of what she was making Unit One do; it almost seemed as though her subconscious was bypassing the rest of her mind entirely and controlling the war machine all by itself. The purple behemoth attacked with a progressive lance it had been armed with when it went up the EVA lift, then it fired a pallet rifle at the Angel until the clip was empty, then it unleashed a roundhouse kick upon one of the Angel's halves, and the whole time, Rei almost felt like a passive observer.

She continued feeling that way the to the point where she and Soryu both sent their respective EVA's feet crashing into the Angel's two cores, causing them to glow dangerously as they started to shatter beneath the unholy amount of force.

Then the cores exploded, annihilating the Angels and surrounding the two Evangelions with light as bright as the sun itself. Safety mechanisms within the EVA's immediately kicked in, dampening the light that the entry plugs' monitors showed the two pilots.

And then it was over. Where once there had been a large forested area just outside the Tokyo-3 area, there was now only a massive crater. All the vegetation had been vaporized along with the Angel when the latest threat to humanity's continued survival had exploded in such spectacular fashion.

At the very bottom of the crater stood the two Evangelions. Both of them held the exact same, graceful pose, looking almost like ballet dancers that had just concluded their act.

The day was won.

Feeling like she was waking from a dream, Rei idly looked about what remained of the battlefield.

Then her eyes widened as she saw a black spot standing a safe distance away from the crater. With a mental command, the First Child had her display zoom in on that spot and saw a familiar armored figure. Her right hand balled into a fist.

And then the interior of her plug went dark.

* * *

The two Evangelions had run out of power shortly after the Angels had been destroyed; they had been deployed without umbilical cables in order to allow for maximum mobility, and as a result the First and Second Children had to wait over a half an hour until NERV came to retrieve them and the two EVA Units.

Rei waited patiently. Soryu became indignant and gave the crew that eventually came to get them a piece of her mind.

Somehow, Rei managed to politely decline when Soryu later suggested that they go out to celebrate the flawless victory. So while the Second Child headed off for a day on the town, Rei returned to Katsuragi's apartment to gather up the few of her possessions which she had brought over.

Shinji, upon seeing that she was getting ready to leave, offered to help her carry her things back to her apartment. Rei didn't require his assistance, and she wouldn't have even if she didn't possess superhuman strength, but she accepted his offer anyway. It was a mostly silent walk, since neither of them was very pleased to see her heading back to her apartment.

"Well, here we are," Shinji observed needlessly as they walked inside Rei's still dingy personal domicile.

"You can put my things on the bed," Rei said, and he obediently placed the small cardboard box he was carrying down.

"Rei," he spoke once he was done with his task, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I enjoyed having you stay with us. I wish you could've moved in with us permanently, but there just isn't the room."

The First Child couldn't help but wonder why there was room for someone as unpleasant as Soryu but not her.

"I asked Misato, but she said that she doesn't trust Asuka to live alone," Shinji added, as though reading the blue haired girl's mind.

The ghost of a smirk appeared on her face. "I see."

There was a brief pause.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Rei," Shinji said, the depressing occasion of her move back to her apartment finally defeating him and prompting him to retreat.

"Shinji," she spoke just before he had reached the door, causing him to stop and turn.

"I enjoyed living with you as well," she said.

Shinji said nothing in response to that—there really wasn't anything _to_ say in response to that—but he did smile at her. Then he turned back toward the door and was gone.

Leaving Rei all alone.

The First Child allowed herself a tiny sigh. "I'm home."

"Welcome home!"

Rei immediately spun around toward the direction that the voice had come from, getting into a defensive stance. However, she relaxed when the door to her bathroom opened, and Aphrodite emerged, clad in the form of the gorgeous blonde that she had used when she had first appeared to Rei. The goddess of love was in a fluffy white bathrobe that was currently displaying a nearly indecent amount of cleavage, and her hair was wrapped up in a towel. A cloud of steam exited the bathroom along with her, which was a pretty good trick considering that even at the best of times, Rei wasn't able to get much hot water out of her showerhead.

"Hello, Aphrodite," Rei said. "What brings you here? I doubt it was the plumbing."

The love goddess laughed. "Did you just make a joke, Rei?"

The First Child arched an eyebrow in response, but the deity thought she saw the corners of the girl's lips twitch very, very slightly.

"Yes, well, mostly I came here to check up on things," Aphrodite said as she plopped down on Rei's bed.

The goddess produced a bottle of nail polish from seemingly nowhere and began to paint her toenails. It occurred to Rei that the mere sight of the love goddess in such a scantily clad state would probably push a mortal man to the edge of coronary malfunction.

"What things?" she asked.

"Did you tell Shinji what I told you to tell him?" Aphrodite asked, not looking away from her task.

"Yes," Rei answered. "He was reassured."

"Good," Aphrodite replied.

Several moments of silence followed.

"Is that all you wished to know?" Rei asked finally.

"No," Aphrodite said, pausing in her toenail painting to look up at Rei. Beautiful sky blue eyes met the First Child's red orbs. "You learned something about the Second Child recently, didn't you?"

Rei nodded. "There is a part of herself which she conceals," she answered. "She bears a great pain which I cannot even fully understand, because I never had a mother."

The love goddess didn't say anything in reply. She just looked knowingly at Rei.

"I feel sorry for her," the First Child said, "but I still do not like her. I do not wish to be her friend."

"That's fine," Aphrodite said mildly as she turned back to her cosmetic task. "I never said you _had_ to be her friend. I only advised you that you should be."

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Part of the reason is because she could make a very powerful ally to you," Aphrodite said. "But it's mostly because I feel sorry for the girl, and I thought perhaps it would help her if she found a friend in you."

"I was led to believe that the gods generally care little about any single mortal," Rei said.

Aphrodite smirked. "There are always exceptions," she said cryptically, then she looked up at Rei again, and her face became as solemn as the Amazon had ever seen it. "Asuka Langley Soryu is a person who is so determined to prove that she needs no one else in her life, and yet who is so afraid of pain that in her current state she is simply incapable of loving another person. To a being such as myself, there can be nothing sadder."

"I see," Rei said softly.

People could be staggeringly complex, the First Child mused. It almost made her nostalgic for the days when everyone was either relevant to the Commander's scenario, or they were not.

Almost.

"Well, I think I've imposed upon your time enough," Aphrodite proclaimed. "I'll leave you so you can get…settled back in."

She put the cap back on her bottle of nail polish, and it immediately vanished back to wherever it had come from. Aphrodite then waved her hand, and her bathrobe was instantly replaced by a fetching skirt and blouse combination. The towel had also vanished from her hair, which was now dry and looked freshly brushed.

"Ciao, Rei," Aphrodite said, then quickly departed, leaving a rather confused EVA pilot behind her.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, shadows were coalescing in another apartment. This living space was better than the one Rei Ayanami called home, and it boasted all the basic amenities, though few would describe it as luxurious.

Still, it met Takai's needs well enough, he mused as he fully materialized inside his new home.

"There you are," a voice spoke from behind him.

He whirled, and quickly got down on one knee and genuflected before his father. He would had gotten down on both knees and pressed his forehead to the floor, but he was still in his armor, which made that impossible.

"Father," he said softly.

"Report," Hades ordered curtly.

"Ikari has been convinced of my usefulness," Takai said. "That the Wonder Girl did not show up for the second battle against this Angel—as though she was afraid to do so—only increased my abilities in his eyes. I am allowed much more liberty now."

"Good," Hades said. "So you believe that you now have sufficient freedom to work toward our true goal?"

"Yes, Father," Takai answered. "I will do everything possible to bring about Third Impact as soon as possible."

"Good," Hades said. "Succeed in this, and you will reign forever as a prince of the underworld, always at my right hand."

"Thank you, Father," Takai said.

"Do not fail me," Hades added in a much harsher tone.

And with that the lord of the dead vanished into the shadows, leaving his son alone again.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** And so Rei has her first encounter with our new super villain and jealously all in the same chapter. And…that's it. For once, I'm keeping this thing short.

Thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.

* * *

Omakes!

Delivery or Guest Omake by my beta reader, number one

It was dark in the neighborhood and Mike313 was in his kitchen, cracking his knuckles. It had been a while since he had sent his fic to his pre-reader to check, and the man had not answered him for long. He took a sip of his coffee, deciding to send him an email later on…

"Excuse me?", a voice said behind him. "Are you… 'Mike313'?" It was female, and demure. It was one he heard often in his head.

Mike313 turned around and looked… and looked… and looked some more…

And tried not to spit out his coffee.

The kitchen was full of people that weren't there before-12 men that he could recognize from Evangelion, Ranma ½ and various Gundam series, as well as a big-ass bot and someone that looked like a ridiculously tiny version of… that actor (he couldn't recall the guy's name right now-that damn Aussie. The newest one). All of them were clad in blue SWAT-style body armor.

And sitting on the counter and looking at him with her head cocked a little to the side, was Rei. Ayanami Rei, in that damn Wonder Woman getup.

Mike313 wondered for a second if she was here to bash him out the window.

Rei smiled that smile of hers and said: "Actually, no. I'm not *your* version. But I appreciate the tension-it is always a good idea to be on your guard around strangers. It lowers their chances to attack you without warning."

Mike313 said a low 'huh?'.

"Oh, fer Christ's sakes, Rei!" the 'actor' said, his voice even sounding alike. "You'll have to forgive her. The Amazon training's hard for her to shut down."

"It is not." Rei said. "It is only that I find no reason to do so."

Mike313 felt someone on his left side and he turned with a 'Whaaah!', to find a small green-haired man with a pretty innocent look.

The man pulled out a portable drive and set it on Mike313's hand, saying:

"Here's the newest chapter of your story. Our employer says he's sorry for the lateness."

"And I say that I better kick everybody's sorry butts and bring Hell with me." Rei said. "To quote a term by my sister."

Mike313 looks at Rei a little funny.

"Different version from yours. Raised over there from childhood… among other things," the robot said.

"Now we better take our leave." One of the other men said (and Mike313 noted that he looked just like Kaworu, except for a Glasgow Smile).

"Uh…" Mike313 said, looking down at the portable drive on his hand. "Who the hell are you guys?"

"We're the Watchers." the big robot said. "And we'll be seeing you. By the way…. Your stories rock. Take it from people who know."

The 11 men and a mecha moved out of the kitchen, and Rei floated from where she had been sitting down to whisper into Mike313's ear:

"I thank you for giving my sister a nice pairing.", and the she flew out of the nearest open window.

Mike313 looked down at the portable drive and then pocketed it, sighing and shaking his head.

"He sends mercenaries to deliver this." he says to the empty room. "He really must have liked it."

Then he paused and turned in the direction of the fourth wall. "In case you're wondering," he said, "I didn't quite get all the details, either. Marco always was very fond of mega-crossovers."

(A/N: I added that last line at the end.)

* * *

Reinforcements or Guest Omake by my beta reader, number two

Seeing that he was only delaying the inevitable, her armored foe abruptly cut off the stream of fire. With the resistance from it gone, Wonder Girl quickly surged forward, but her enemy was prepared for it. He quickly moved to the side, and she soared past him, crashing into the sea behind him in an undignified—and wet—landing.

She instantly jumped to her feet, but she was not the only thing that rose from the surf. Her eyes widened as a pair of skeletons emerged from either side of her, great clumps of wet sand sticking to their calcified forms.

They each clamped down on one of her arms, and their cold, wet hands felt truly horrendous on her bare skin; they made her arms go utterly numb upon contact, and it felt as though they were trying to drain all the strength and life right out of her.

Wonder Girl belatedly realized that _this_ was why her heavily armored enemy had gone down to the waterline despite the risk; some of the remains of those killed by Second Impact could still be found beneath the surf, even now.

"Good-bye, Amazon," her black-clad opponent said. "Perhaps I will see you on the other side someday."

He thrust his blazing sword forward, and she could see that the tip of the blade was heading directly for her heart. With her arms caught in the skeletons' paralyzing grips, she could not block the strike with one of her gauntlets.

She closed her eyes, awaiting for the fatal blow.

And it was then that a big silver *thing*, easily bigger than either of them, flew right in the way, making her armored foe skid to a stop in the muddy ground.

Takai followed the 'big silver thing' as it flew through the air, crashing into one of the many ruinous buildings around. It was a lance-a gigantic lance, propelled by a rocket.

Takai traced back the lance's path, and then froze.

From out of sheer thin air, a gigantic robot appeared. It was black with red and golden highlights, and a weapon on its right arm that Takai could only think of as a gauntlet of some kind, a shield with more lances attached to it. It was aiming said gauntlet at him in a menacing fashion.

"Please step away from the Amazon. Now. Or *else*." the robot's pilot said, his voice booming all over the ruins from the robot's concealed loudspeakers.

And it was then that the son of Ares broke character for a moment and said:

"Wait a minute… a Gundam? Is that a Gundam?", he turned to Rei and hollered. "WHERE IN THE *$* DID YOU FOUND A GUY WITH A GUNDAM? THIS IS AGAINST THE SCRIPT!!!"

Rei blinked hard, twice, and then said: "It is."

"Good to see you're with…" Takai said-and that was as far as he got.

Because it was then that Rei tossed a kick-and instead of hitting him in the chest, as the script said she would, it hit him in the crotch-hard enough to bend the entire codpiece of his armor.

Takai's groan was incredibly high-pitched, his visible eyes crossing as he dropped to the ground, holding his sensative parts.

"But I do not mind the deviation at this moment." the Amazon added.

Inside the Gundam (appropriately labeled as the 'Blitz'), Nicol Amarfi grinned.

* * *

The feisty undead

Seeing that he was only delaying the inevitable, her armored foe abruptly cut off the stream of fire. With the resistance from it gone, Wonder Girl quickly surged forward, but her enemy was prepared for it. He quickly moved to the side, and she soared past him, crashing into the sea behind him in an undignified—and wet—landing.

She instantly jumped to her feet, but she was not the only thing that rose from the surf. Her eyes widened as a group of skeletons emerged from either side of her, great clumps of wet sand sticking to their calcified forms.

Two of them clamped down on her arms. The bony hands of others went to…significantly more intimate places.

"Whoa! Check _her_ out!" one of the skeletons crowed.

"Man, I love warrior babes!"

"You workout often, lady?"

"Giggity-gigity-goo!"

"Damn, would you check out the abs on this girl?"

"Abs? I was too bust paying attention to her a_—_!"

With an angry growl, Wonder Girl managed to wrench free from the skeletons' grasp. They immediately tried to grab her again, but before they could so much as touch her, a giant mallet of Olympian bronze had appeared in her hands from seemingly nowhere.

With an angered cry, Wonder Girl swung the patented Amazonian Hentai Smasher in a wide arc, shattering several of the skeletons. Those that remained tried to retreat, but she'd be having none of that after the indignity she'd just endured. She pursed every last one, smashing all the bones that composed the skeletons to powder.

Then she turned her attention to the one who'd summoned them. The black clad figure was trying to sneak away. Wonder Girl hefted her giant bronze hammer.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the underworld, Hades just sighed as he watched the battle play out.

"I wonder if I have any other mortal offspring I've forgotten about?" he mused aloud.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Six: **The Machinations of Takai Banryu

The son of Hades hummed cheerfully to himself as he walked down the street of Tokyo-3, allowing himself some time to enjoy the day. The weather was beautiful, he had a good start on his plans, and he was feeling far more positive about his relocation to Japan than he had when his father had first informed him that he would be moving.

Then he sneezed.

"Ugh," the young man grumbled as he removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose, his cheerful mood somewhat soured.

The antihistamines he'd taken were apparently wearing off. To make matters worse, it was too soon for him to take another dose unless he wanted to be unconscious or at least severely doped up for the next few hours. In a few minutes, he'd have to head indoors or endure a full-blown allergy attack.

_Damn you, Persephone,_ he thought, knowing that his father's wife was the reason he suffered so. _It's not like Father's indiscretions with mortal women are _my_ fault just because I happen to be the product of one of them._

Well, it could be worse, he supposed. Compared to what Hera was known to do to the illegitimate children of Zeus, Persephone's wrath really wasn't so terrible.

He was about to retreat from the streets when a nearby newsstand caught his attention. Walking over to it, Takai plucked a copy of the _Tokyo Tattler_, the city's local rag magazine, from the shelves.

On the cover was a rather grainy image of himself fighting Wonder Girl. The corners of his lips quirked upwards upon seeing the picture.

_Took so long to come out that I was starting to think no one saw us,_ he mused. _Guess whoever took this picture finally saw the yen signs and decided to sell it._

Opening the tabloid, the demigod quickly started to skim the article that went with the picture on the cover. He was unsurprised to note that it consisted almost entirely of baseless speculation and hearsay, but one thing did intrigue him. They had named him.

According to the _Tokyo Tattler_, the figure in black armor that Wonder Girl had fought was called the "Dark Centurion."

Takai's little smirk grew into a full blown grin. It wasn't exactly accurate; centurions were officers in the legions of ancient Rome, and the demigod had no connections to that long gone empire. If a god could be said to have ethnicity, his father was Greek, not Italian.

Still, he had to admit that "Dark Centurion" definitely had a certain ring to it.

"Hey," the man who ran the newsstand said gruffly, "you going to pay for that, kid?"

Intending to just put the tabloid back, Takai was about to tell the man no and then leave.

However, that plan was quickly shot when he abruptly started sneezing again, this time all over the copy of the _Tattler_ he held.

And his treacherous sinuses weren't done yet, as Takai kept right on sneezing. It was most definitely time for him to retreat from the outdoors, he decided as he tried and failed to answer the man in charge of the newsstand.

Finally giving up, the demigod withdrew some money from his pocket, slapped into onto the counter of the newsstand, and then ran off, his now rather damp copy of the _Tattler_ in hand.

Still releasing at least one sneeze per second, Takai rushed into a nearby alleyway. Once within the cool shade of the semi-enclosed little area, he closed his eyes and concentrated. The shadows seemed to envelop him, and he vanished from the alleyway.

He reappeared a moment later in a dim and rarely used office within NERV headquarters. The demigod continued to sneeze relentlessly for several seconds, but now that he was indoors, breathing re-circulated air, the fit eventually subsided.

"Might as well get some work done while I'm here," he grumbled to himself as he wiped his watery eyes with his handkerchief.

Takai booted up the room's sole computer, allowing the monitor to cast its eerie, bluish glow over his face. Utilizing the MAGI username and password he had earned by keeping Wonder Girl from involving herself with the battle against the Seventh Angel, he logged into the system.

"Oh, Gamma Level clearance," he said as he watched words scroll across the screen. "Sounds… unimportant."

Well, he supposed that he couldn't have expected Ikari to trust him completely, and really, the man was wise to keep his cards close to his vest.

Fortunately, the son of Hades was not much concerned about the particulars of Gendo Ikari's plan to invoke Third Impact. Takai would still consider it a win if the Commander's plan succeeded, so he had little use for the organization's darker secrets. No, it was NERV's public mission—that of stopping the Angels—that he sought to learn about and disrupt.

Gamma Level clearance proved good enough to view at least parts of the pilots' NERV dossiers, and Takai brought them up and began to read them with a small smile.

Large chunks of each had obviously been redacted, and in the case of the First Child, there was almost nothing there to begin with, but what was present was quite illuminating. There were evaluations of the pilots' personalities, as well as brief personal histories, both on and off the battlefield.

Clearly, the Second and Third Children were the most important to NERV's war effort. Pilot Ikari had the most combat experience and the highest number of kills, while Soryu had the most advanced Evangelion and the greatest amount of training. Ayanami was a distant third when it came to the importance of the pilots, possessing the lowest sync ratio and the often erratic prototype Evangelion; she couldn't hope to hold the fort by herself for any length of time.

After rereading and memorizing the dossiers of the two "important" pilots, Takai shut off the computer he was working at. Then his form melted into the room's shadows and he disappeared.

It was almost time for another dose of his allergy meds.

* * *

Tentatively dog paddling around the shallow end of the NERV pool, Shinji thought he was starting to really and truly believe that he could do something in water other than sink like a stone and drown.

"You are doing well, Shinji," Rei spoke softly as she observed from nearby. "You will be ready for the deep end soon, I believe."

He turned to her and saw that there a small smile on her face, something that seemed to be an increasingly frequent sight.

"Thank you, Rei," he said, standing up in the shallow water. "It feels like I'm learning how to do this very slowly, though."

Rei secretly felt that he was correct. His progress seemed very slow to her. However, she did not think it would be…tactful to agree with him.

"We never had any set timetable for how quickly you should learn," Rei responded instead.

"I suppose so," Shinji replied.

Rei was about to suggest that he attempt the breast stroke when the door to the NERV pool opened.

"Hello, you two!" Asuka called to them in a too cheery sounding voice as she strode inside.

Shinji's eyes widened as he took in the redhead's form. Asuka was clad in a red and white striped bikini that had to be at least one size too small for her figure, which was obviously developing quite nicely. He was surprised to note that Asuka's build was just as toned and athletic as Rei's.

"Since we don't get to go to Okinawa, I thought I'd do it here," Asuka announced.

"Do what here?" Shinji asked, suddenly finding himself totally unable to even guess as to what Asuka had been referring to.

"Scuba diving, of course!" Asuka said, holding up the small tank and mask she had brought in with her.

Shinji hadn't even noticed she was carrying anything until that moment.

The Second Child went about the task of getting herself into the scuba gear, bending over in the process and allowing Shinji a rather splendid view. He knew that he really _should_ look away, but for once, his teenage hormones had grasped the reins and kept his gaze fixed on the blossoming redhead.

Next to him, Rei narrowed her eyes dangerously. She was quite sure that she was again experiencing the jealousy that Aphrodite had spoken of, but she didn't really care. All she cared about was the hostility she was currently feeling for the Second Child, and the effect the redhead appeared to be having on Shinji.

If Asuka noticed Rei glaring at her, she gave no indication of it. "Lookie, lookie!" the Second Child called. "Back roll entry!"

She entered the pool with a splash, and the weighted belt she'd put on allowed her to sink to the bottom. Yet the spell the redhead had cast on Shinji did not seem to be broken. A scowl crept over Rei's usually impassive face.

Then, a memory of something Aphrodite had told her once whispered into her ear. _Sometimes, even the best of men just need a cold shower._

It was an intriguing idea. The problem was that there was no cold water at hand; the pool water was lukewarm at worst.

_I suppose it will have to do,_ Rei decided, striking the surface of the water and sending a splash toward Shinji.

The water hit the Third Child's back, and he recoiled as though he'd been struck by something far more powerful, then turned to look at Rei, a guilty expression on his face.

Still very naïve when it came to human interactions, the First Child didn't understand why Shinji would look guilty. Despite understanding Asuka a bit better after having lived with her for a while, Rei was still quite willing to direct any and all hostility she felt over the brief incident at the redhead.

At a loss on how to proceed, Rei splashed him again.

Once more, Shinji recoiled, if not as dramatically this time. Then he blinked at Rei several times, a look of complete shock on his face that the First Child didn't quite understand the reason for.

Then he splashed the First Child back.

Rei almost reflexively responded in kind, and suddenly water was flying through the air between them as though they were caught in the middle of a tempest.

She heard a sound above all the splashing, and she suddenly realized that Shinji was laughing. It was not at all an unpleasant sound, but Rei was still surprised to hear it from the usually somber Third Child.

Yet she was more surprised still to realize that a silly sort of grin had crept onto her own face as they fought with water. The discovery that she was getting so much enjoyment from doing something as pointless as splashing Shinji in the pool nearly stupefied her.

Eventually, Shinji's arms started to get tired, and his watery attacks slowed, then stopped. Rei could have kept splashing him, of course; her Amazon body was far harder to fatigue, but she also ceased her efforts. For a moment, the two teenagers just stood there, looking at each other and grinning stupidly. Shinji was panting slightly.

"That was…fun," Rei commented softly after a few moments.

"Yeah," Shinji agreed, "it was."

Impulsively, he reached up and moved a lock of soaked blue hair out of her face. His fingers felt surprisingly warm against her damp skin, and Rei noted that her heartbeat sped up considerably as he touched her. Shinji's hand froze, as though he'd suddenly realized what he was doing, and his face grew flushed. Rei's own cheeks became a shade of delicate pink. She could feel the heat in her face.

Then the moment was interrupted by a splash from the far side of the pool. The two of them both turned their heads and then froze in place as they saw Asuka climbing out of the water. They'd both forgotten entirely that they weren't alone in the pool room.

Getting out of the water entirely, the redhead removed the goggles she was wearing and turned her head to look at her fellow pilots, who were still standing there, motionless, in a rather intimate looking position.

Asuka didn't say a word. She just a heaved a dramatic, disgusted sigh and stalked off, looking rather funny while she did so because she didn't bother to take off the flippers she was wearing first.

Then she was out the door and gone, but the moment had long since been ruined. Shinji moved his hand away from Rei's face and backed away from her slightly.

"I believe we can call your swimming lessons finished for today," Rei said.

"Yeah," Shinji agreed.

The two of them got out of the pool and made their way to one of the white plastic tables nearby, where a couple of white fluffy towels waited. Picking them up, the two pilots started to dry themselves off.

"You know, Rei, you've really changed," Shinji commented.

The First Child turned her ruby gaze on him and quirked one slim, blue eyebrow. "How so?" she asked.

"Uh…" Shinji started to sweat, immediately fearing that he'd just put his foot into his mouth and was only going to shove it further down his throat. "Well, you just seem more…alive. And…happier, I guess."

"I see," was Rei's simple, perfectly neutral reply.

Shinji wasn't quite sure if he'd messed up or not. Unlike Asuka, Rei could be angry without being obvious about it.

Well, except for that one incident when he'd spoken ill about his father and Rei had expressed her anger by slapping him in the face, but that was a long time ago.

"You have changed, too," she said, the barest hint of a smile on her face.

"Huh?"

Rei ignored his confusion. "I believe you said that Captain Katsuragi ordered you to perform extra credit assignments while the rest of class 2-A is at Okinawa," she said. "My own grades are quite good. If you wish, I will assist you in your work. I would suggest that Saito's Creamery is an excellent place for quiet study." She finished with just a trace of a grin.

Shinji chuckled. It was always funny whenever Rei displayed her newly developed sense of humor, in spite of (or perhaps because of) how subtle it was and how she was always able to keep a straight face.

"I'll buy the ice cream," he said.

* * *

As the First and Third Children were returning to their respective locker rooms to change into their street clothes, Asuka Langley Soryu was just leaving the Geofront, arriving in the city above the underground base.

Scuba diving in the NERV pool had been about as boring as the lectures she had to endure in the damn junior high school she'd been stuck in. In Okinawa, there were both sunken cities and the expected sea life to see. In the pool, there was nothing except tile.

Even worse, the two of them had completely ignored her to make kissy faces at each other, and if there was anything the Second Child hated, it was when nobody paid any attention to her.

_Always thought there was something between those two,_ Asuka mused as she started wandering through the city streets.

The Second Child was, if she said so herself, pretty good at noticing such things. But while she'd certainly gotten that vibe from the other pilots when she'd been living with the both of them, they were both so quiet and muted that she hadn't been able to tell for sure until just now.

_Wonder what she sees in him,_ Asuka thought. _Sure, he piloted in her place that first time, but really, gratitude only extends so far._

Shaking her head, Asuka continued to walk around the city, looking for something to do rather than return to the apartment and start working on her extra credit assignment, which would've been stupidly easy for her if only it wasn't in Japanese.

Not that there actually was all that much to do in Tokyo-3, which was a very strange city in Asuka's not so humble opinion. The affluent part of the city was so clean and new that it didn't quite feel real; it seemed more like some phony city in a theme park or something. And with everyone moving out in the face of the Angels, the place was almost eerily quiet and empty for what was supposed to be a major city.

Lost in thought, Asuka didn't notice the young man who was also walking through the city, a large cup of soda in hand. The two collided, causing him to spill his drink on her. The redhead let out a yelp of surprise and displeasure as the cold brown liquid splashed all over her front.

"Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"Excuse me," he replied in a calm tone, "I wasn't watching where I was going."

The young man's voice was rich and smooth, sending a small, pleasant shiver down her spine. Asuka felt a good portion of her anger drain away, and she diverted her gaze away from the large wet patch on her favorite dress to take a good look at the guy she'd crashed into.

He was probably about fourteen, her age, but he could have passed for older; he was tall and had unusually broad shoulders for a teenage boy just starting to grow into manhood. He had handsome, dark features, and she could tell that he wasn't entirely Japanese.

"This is probably ruined," she said with little actual heat in her voice, looking down at the stain on her yellow dress, "and it's my favorite one, too."

In sharp contrast to the Third Child, her new acquaintance didn't fall all over himself trying to apologize. "The mall's only a couple of blocks from here. How about I buy you a new one?" he asked, a trace of a smile on his face.

Asuka smirked. "Careful there. I have expensive tastes."

The corners of his mouth quirked upwards. "I think my bank account will survive, Miss…?"

"Asuka Langley Soryu," she replied.

"The pilot of the red Evangelion?" he asked, looking impressed.

Beaming, the Second Child held herself a little bit straighter and put her hands on her hips. "That's me," she said. "So, what's your name, big spender?"

"Takai Banryu," he answered.

"Takai," Asuka repeated. "That's not a very common name, is it?"

"My parents weren't very common people," he replied. "Now, if you want me to buy you a new dress…" he gestured in the direction of the mall.

Grinning, she grabbed hold of his arm and started to pull him toward the center of commerce.

Not much later, Asuka was in one of the fitting rooms of a women's clothing store, while Takai sat in a chair outside.

"So," Asuka said as she removed her soda stained yellow dress and began to exchange it for a new red one, "I haven't seen you around the school. You just move here or are you home schooled?"

"I already have my high school degree," Takai answered. "Right now, I'm working a degree at an online college. I'd like to go to a real one, but I just don't have the money."

"That's too bad," Asuka said, her opinion of this young man rising another notch as she discovered how intelligent he had to be.

"That's life, I guess," Takai replied.

"Could be worse," Asuka said. "I have a college degree—"

"You managed to earn a degree by fourteen, while training to pilot an Evangelion?" Takai interrupted her.

Asuka glowed with pleasure. "Oh, it wasn't that hard," she lied dismissively. "Anyway, even though I have a degree, my guardian makes me go to junior high school classes for some stupid reason. You should be glad your parents don't subject you to that."

"They can't," Takai replied. "I have emancipated youth status, and I live on my own."

"Really?" Asuka said, impressed by her new acquaintance's independence.

Not many people were mature enough to be self-sufficient at fourteen, Asuka knew. Only people who were older than their years, like herself, could do that. Shinji's stooge friends probably would've started crying for mommy after ten minutes if they ever tried to live alone.

"Yes," Takai said. "My mother's dead, so I'm on my own."

"What about your father?" Asuka asked.

"Living with him just wouldn't be a good idea," Takai said.

"Gott, I hear that," Asuka replied, shuddering at the idea of living with her own father again.

Finished dressing, the Second Child emerged from the fitting room in her new dress. A slow smile spread over Takai's handsome face as he looked her up and down. "You look beautiful," he said.

"Thank you," Asuka replied with a grin. "I think I'll take this one."

He paid for her new dress as he'd promised, then the two of them left the store, stepping back out into the mall.

"Asuka," Takai spoke.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go for a coffee or something with me?" he asked.

She paused to consider, even though she already knew the answer. "Yeah, I think I—"

The redhead was cut off as her cell phone started to ring. "Sorry, I have to take this," she said, taking her phone from her pocket and flipping it open. "What?" she scowled as she answered.

"We've found an Angel," Misato said in a no nonsense tone of voice. "We need you to report to headquarters, now."

"Understood. I'm coming," Asuka replied, then hung up and turned back to Takai. "Sorry, Takai, duty calls. I have to go."

"Oh, all right," he said. "In that case could I get your—"

"Give me your cell phone," the redhead said.

Takai didn't question the order. He just handed his phone over. Asuka quickly pushed several buttons on it and handed it back to him. Takai saw that she had programmed her number into it.

"Call me," Asuka said with a grin, before walking off to head for NERV with a couple of Section Two agents who had stepped forward after inexpertly shadowing the Second Child the whole time she'd been outside the Geofront.

"I will," Takai promised with a smile.

Then Asuka and her escorts melted into the crowd at the mall, leaving him alone. Takai allowed himself a grin of triumph as he walked off; that had gone even better than he'd expected.

Of course, he could have easily killed her right then, but with her bodyguards around, it wouldn't have been smart. If Ikari found out that his new secret weapon against Wonder Girl had murdered one of the pilots, Takai could kiss his new level of access to NERV goodbye.

If he lost that access, and the death of the Second Child proved insufficient to allow the Angels to claim victory, his father would be _very_ angry with him.

So he would bide his time, using his knowledge of Asuka to become her confidant, and when he felt confident he could get away with it, he would kill the pilot of EVA Unit Two.

But, before then, it looked like he had to head to the battlefield where NERV would be confronting the next Angel and wait, in case Wonder Girl tried to interfere again.

Slipping into one of the mall's public restrooms, Takai found a shadowy corner and stepped into it. Moments later, he was gone from the mall.

* * *

About twenty minutes after her fateful encounter on the streets of Tokyo-3, Asuka arrived at the room where the Operations Director intended to brief the pilots, finding that Misato, Shinji, Rei, and Ritsuko were already present.

"Glad you could join us, Asuka," Misato commented.

"Sorry, I was at the mall," the redhead replied with a dismissive wave, not sounding very apologetic at all to Rei's ears.

"Well, now that you're all here, we can begin," Misato said. "Earlier today, we discovered a still dormant Angel located inside of a volcano, Mount Asuma to be specific."

Ritsuko pressed a button on a small remote she was holding, and an image of the Angel in question was projected onto the floor. It looked quite a bit like a human fetus in the very early stages of development, but it was clearly much, much bigger.

"As you can see," the scientist said, "the Angel is obviously still in its embryonic stage. This may well represent the best chance we'll ever have to capture a live Angel. I can't overstate how useful that would be to NERV."

"How are we supposed to get it out of the volcano?" Shinji asked.

"By going in after it," Misato said. "With the D-type equipment, an Evangelion can withstand even a dip in molten lava. So one of you is going to have to go magma diving."

"I'll do it!" Asuka said at once. "I love diving."

Rei felt a small drop of sweat form on the back of her head. How some minor experience with scuba made her more qualified to take a dip in an active volcano, she couldn't even begin to guess.

Misato nodded. "Yes, Asuka, you're the one who's going," she said. "Shinji will be waiting at the top of the volcano as backup."

"What about me?" Rei asked.

"The prototype isn't compatible with the D-type equipment," Ritsuko answered. "Therefore, you'll remain here as reserve."

"Aw, poor Rei," Asuka mocked. "She doesn't get to have any fun."

Everyone present cast a dirty look at the redhead. She didn't seem to notice.

"All right, Shinji, Asuka, get changed and get to the cages," Misato said. "We're leaving as soon as all the preparations are made."

* * *

About an hour later, Rei Ayanami was returning to her apartment, since there was no need for her unless the Angel somehow exited the volcano, evaded both Units Two and One, and made its way to Tokyo-3. Simply put, it was unlikely in the extreme that NERV would have any use for the First Child in this battle.

Of course, that didn't mean that Wonder Girl had to sit down and stay put. Upon entering her home, Rei quickly unlocked Pandora's Box and began to change into her armor.

She had just pulled her leotard up her body when the door to her apartment suddenly opened, and Apollo strode inside, wearing his bronze armor.

Normally, Rei wouldn't have cared much about someone barging into her home without knocking. Since it was Apollo, however, she was tempted to literally throw him out for the offense.

"Oh, good," the god said. "Glad to see that you're suiting up."

Rei glared coldly at him as she finished adjusting her rather revealing magic armor, then grabbed her tiara and lasso. "I am going to Mount Asuma to assist in defeating the Angel there," she stated.

"Ah, well, I'm afraid you're not," Apollo said.

"And why is that?" Rei asked, even as she continued her preparations to head for the volcano.

"I've come to collect that favor you owe me, Champion of the Amazons," Apollo said with a smirk on his face.

That stopped her short. She knew that, however much she might not like it, she had to pay her debt to Apollo. Even Athena had said so, and she'd been intent on changing Apollo's favorite son into an insect at the time. To refuse him was to invite the wrath of a god.

"Must it be now?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"This is a time sensitive task I have for you," Apollo said. "So yes, you have to go now."

"If one of my fellow pilots dies because I wasn't there…if Shinji dies…"

"You'll storm Mount Olympus and tear down my temple there brick by brick, then disembowel me and bury me in the rubble, I'm sure," Apollo replied, sounding bored.

Wonder Girl just glared at him.

Apollo sighed. "I give you my word as an immortal god that the other Evangelion pilots will survive this battle, uninjured, without the intervention of the Wonder Girl, hard though that may be to believe."

"You are certain?" Wonder Girl asked.

"You did teach Ikari about thermal expansion, correct?" Apollo asked.

Wonder Girl blinked, having no idea what that had to do with anything. "Yes," she answered.

"Then, yes, I am absolutely certain," Apollo said.

"Fine," Wonder Girl finally gave in. "What do you wish me to do?"

"Over the years, nearly all of my temples have been desecrated by groups of so-called 'scientists' looking for artifacts," Apollo said with distaste. "There is only one left that remains undisturbed, and at this very moment, an archeologist is on the verge of discovering it."

"And you wish for me to stop her," Wonder Girl surmised.

"Correct," Apollo said. "I want you to do whatever it takes to ensure that my temple will not be invaded by a horde of archeologists and all the artifacts taken away."

It sounded to Wonder Girl that Apollo wanted her to kill this archeologist, but she wasn't going to murder a woman just for doing her job. Regardless of that, the task sounded like a very easy one. Keeping a normal woman from finding the temple would be no challenge for her.

She wondered why Apollo was letting her off so easily after she had essentially written him a blank check. She wanted to ask but feared that would get him to change his mind, making her perform a much more difficult task. Perhaps, she reasoned, he feared retaliation from Athena unless the task he gave her was a simple one.

"Very well," Wonder Girl agreed. "Where is this temple?"

Smiling, Apollo reached out and placed a hand on Wonder Girl's shoulder.

For a moment, her universe was filled with golden, nearly blinding sunlight. Then her vision cleared, and she was no longer in her apartment. Instead, she found herself standing in a green forest. Looking up, her crimson eyes widened as she saw walls of stone soaring at least a kilometer high to either side.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"This is the Vikos Gorge in Greece," Apollo answered.

"I was under the impression that temples were built in places where people could go and worship, such as cities," Wonder Girl said. "Why would anyone build a temple to you in this place?"

"You think that there weren't any people with strange ideas in ancient times?" Apollo asked.

Wonder Girl's shoulders moved the tiniest fraction of an inch in an approximation of a shrug. "I suppose you have a point," she said. "Where is the temple?"

"To the north," Apollo said. "The intrepid archeologist is to the south, heading toward my temple. Go and stop her."

"Very well," Wonder Girl said, heading off into the dense foliage and leaving Apollo behind her.

Not terribly keen on the task she had been given to begin with, she took her time in searching for the archeologist. As she went, she took the opportunity to observe the scenery. Having lived her whole life in Tokyo-3, she had never been around so much greenery before. Not even Themyscria was quite so untamed as the bottom of the Vikos Gorge.

It was pleasant, she decided. Disorganized but organized. Alive and wild. Beautiful, even.

_I wonder if Shinji has ever been to a place like this before?_ Wonder Girl thought. _If not, perhaps we could go to one together._

A rustle ahead of her instantly caused the champion of the gods to snap out of her thoughts and return her attention to her task. No matter how easy this job was, sloppiness was unbecoming of an Amazon warrior.

It wasn't long before the archeologist Apollo had sent her to stop appeared from out of the dense foliage. She was a woman with auburn hair, dressed all in khaki with a large pack on her back. Perhaps in her thirties, she was an attractive but unremarkable looking individual.

"Good lord," the archeologist said in English, a faint British accent to her words. "Are you…?"

Glad that she had studied languages during the long, blank years that had preceded the arrival of the Third Angel, the Amazon replied, "I am known as the Wonder Girl. I'm sorry, but I cannot permit you to go any further."

The woman didn't seem to have heard her. Her gaze was locked on the rope that was at the blue haired superwoman's hip. "Is that the golden lasso of the Amazons?" she asked.

"What? Yes, I suppose it is," Wonder Girl answered. "But I said that I cannot allow you to proceed. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. If you wish, I can easily get you out of the gorge."

"Oh no. I won't be leaving the gorge any time soon." The archeologist said, a slow smile creeping over her face.

"I do not think you understand," the Amazon said. "I will not allow you to remain and find the temple."

"The one who doesn't understand is you, I'm afraid. I've heard of you, Wonder Girl, and I know what you're capable of. But I'm not leaving until I find that temple," Barbara Ann Minerva said, "and take that lasso away from you!"

Before Wonder Girl's eyes, the archeologist abruptly _changed_. Pale skin was suddenly covered in spotted, yellow-brown fur. The woman's nose became wider and flatter, and a tail sprouted from her hindquarters. More importantly, wicked looking black claws burst from the ends of her fingers, and lithe, ropey muscles abruptly formed in her previously slender limbs.

"Not even you can stop the Cheetah, Wonder Girl!" the archeologist turned anthromorph hissed, right before launching herself at Wonder Girl.

The Amazon's mind was a total blank as she watched the Cheetah surge toward her. Her brain was just frozen with shock at this bizarre turn of events.

However, thanks to all the training she had endured on Themyscria, her body reacted to the attack even as her head was still spinning. Wonder Girl's fist lashed out, striking the Cheetah right in the shoulder mere seconds before the feline woman's long claws could touch her. The Cheetah let out a loud, angry yowl—not unlike what a cat would emit when its tail was stepped on—and went flying.

It looked like she was about to crash into a tree, but the Cheetah was far too agile for that. Somehow twisting her body about in midair, she managed to get her feet back on solid ground, sliding backwards a few feet before coming to a stop. Releasing another angry hiss, the Cheetah scurried up the very tree that it had looked she was about to break her spine on a moment ago, disappearing into its leafy boughs.

Unwilling to allow her foe to hide, Wonder Girl quickly made her way to the base of the tree. Rather than climb or fly up into its leaves, however, she wrapped her arms around the truck of the tree. She pulled upwards, releasing a small grunt as she did so, and the roots of the tree burst out of the ground, great clumps of dark earth still sticking to them. She began to shake the tree fiercely, attempting to dislodge the Cheetah.

However, the suddenly feline femme was not so easily thrown from her perch. Even after the Amazon shook the tree for several seconds, she did not fall out. Then, in a flash of movement so fast she would have missed it if she had blinked at the wrong moment, Wonder Girl saw the Cheetah leap from her current position into another, unmolested tree.

The Amazon instantly discarded the great tree she held and got into a defensive stance, silently cursing Apollo as she did so. She should have known that he wouldn't give her an easy task.

The rustling of leaves gave away the Cheetah's position, but the archeologist turned feline was moving so fast that it barely mattered. Wonder Girl could barely keep her eyes trained on the Cheetah's position as the feline jumped from tree to tree.

_She is fast,_ the Amazon thought grimly. _Faster than I am._

Just as Wonder Girl was trying to survey the area for a more defensible position, the Cheetah made her move, leaping from a nearby tree, directly at the Amazon's back. The blue haired superwoman heard her enemy coming and spun around to face her, but she wasn't quite quick enough.

The Cheetah's claws raked across the Amazon's shoulder, somehow managing to leave long, red gashes in Wonder Girl's normally impervious skin. The blue haired superwoman let out a cry of surprise and pain, even as she clamped down on the Cheetah's wrists.

The two of them began to grapple, and though the Cheetah was strong, Wonder Girl was stronger. The feline's eyes widened as her claws were forced away from her enemy.

"What are you?" Wonder Girl asked.

"A consummate professional in the field of archeology," the Cheetah replied with a smirk. "As you might have guessed, you're not the first fantastical thing I've ever encountered on my explorations. You probably won't be the last, either."

Just as she finished delivering her little spiel, the Cheetah's tail came up and wrapped itself around the Amazon's neck. Wonder Girl immediately started having trouble breathing as enough pressure was applied to her neck to cut off her airways.

The Cheetah smirked maliciously as the Amazon started to choke. Knowing that she need to do something fast, Wonder Girl abruptly bowed her head, which caused it to crash into the Cheetah's forehead. There was an audible knock from the impact, and the Cheetah looked dazed from the blow, but her grip didn't slacken.

Growing desperate, Wonder Girl repeated the attack several more times, ignoring the pain that bloomed in her own head as a result. The Cheetah's eyes became unfocused, but amazingly, her grip remained firm.

Finally, desperate for air, Wonder Girl released her hold on one of Cheetah's wrists and grabbed at the feline woman's tail.

Despite how woozy she must have been, the Cheetah struck instantly with her newly freed hand, raking her claws across the flesh by Wonder Girl's collar bone. The Amazon let out a grunt of pain, then wrapped her fingers around her enemy's tail and gave it a fierce tug, pulling it away from her neck and allowing herself to breathe. That done, she pulled her hand back, balling her fingers into a fist.

But the Cheetah attacked before she could strike. With a loud hiss, the feline woman leaned forward and sank her long fangs into Wonder Girl's shoulder. The Amazon's eyes widened as she felt pain shoot through her.

They must have fallen immediately after that, because the next thing the Amazon knew, she and her opponent were on the ground, and the battle had officially devolved completely into a brawl.

The two of them rolled around as they continued to struggle fiercely, with Wonder Girl fighting to get the Cheetah off of her. She would have eventually succeeded, too, if not for another stroke of bad luck in a day that seemed like it had been full of them.

The Cheetah happened to find a rock about twice the size of her fist as they continued to fight, and she grabbed it and swung hard at Wonder Girl's head. The rock shattered upon impact. The Amazon's skull didn't, but the blow was enough to leave her dizzy.

Immediately capitalizing upon her advantage, the Cheetah wrapped her powerful hands around Wonder Girl's neck. Dazed, bleeding, and not quite having recovered from the last time Cheetah had choked her, Wonder Girl found her vision tunneling almost instantly. She reached up to try and strike the Cheetah, or to attempt to pry the feline female's hands off her neck, but suddenly everything seemed strange. She felt like she was trying to reach for something that was very far away from her, and her hands couldn't seem to locate what they sought.

Then the blackness swept over her and she knew no more.

* * *

The Amazon awoke some indeterminate period of later, groaning softly. At first she was sorely tempted to allow herself to drift back into unconsciousness, if only to escape the throbbing pain in her head.

Then she remembered what had transpired before she'd passed out, and she instantly snapped to full wakefulness, immediately taking stock of her situation.

The slashes the Cheetah had inflicted on her were all closed, leaving only red marks that were already fading in their place. Given how quickly her superhuman body healed itself, that meant she hadn't been out for very long.

She was tied to a thick tree, and for one horrible second, Wonder Girl thought it was her magic lasso that held her there. However, a moment of closer inspection made it obvious that this was not so; the Cheetah had just used an ordinary rope that happened to be yellow in color.

However, her lasso was _not_ at her hip. The feline female had clearly taken it with her.

_Which means it is doubly important I escape and catch up to her,_ Wonder Girl thought grimly.

She wasn't sure which idea she loathed more: the punishment Apollo would doubtlessly dole out if she failed the mission he had assigned her, or having to tell Athena and perhaps even Queen Hippolyta that she had lost her golden lasso.

The rope the Cheetah had used to bind her was sturdy; the archeologist might have used it to rappel down into the gorge. It was also looped around her and the trunk of the tree over half a dozen times.

Wonder Girl broke it without effort, feeling reluctantly grateful that the Cheetah's greed had caused her to take it rather than use it to tie her up. If it was her unbreakable lasso that had held her, well, she might've had a problem there.

The blue haired superwoman flew off through the thick foliage, but she soon discovered that with all the trees in her path, it was quicker just to run. She had no difficulty following the Cheetah, and wouldn't have even if she didn't know where the archeologist was going.

_Artemis would make me into a pincushion if I couldn't follow _that_ trail after enduring her training,_ she thought, a small, wry smile appearing on her face as she went.

It wasn't long before the lost temple of Apollo came into view, with the Cheetah's trail leading straight into it. The temple had clearly once been a very grand edifice, and the blue haired superwoman couldn't begin to guess how a group of ancient Greeks could have gotten so much marble down into the gorge. However, the place was now crumbling and nearly overgrown with vegetation. In a few more decades or perhaps only a few years, nature would finish reclaiming the place, and the temple would be no more.

Ignoring the decrepit state of the ancient place of worship, Wonder Girl charged inside. The temple was like many she had seen on Themyscria and was dominated by one great room that had a large statue of Apollo standing on a pedestal in the center. Said statue was made from bronze, and like the rest of the place, it must have once been quite magnificent but was now badly tarnished.

The Cheetah was surveying various artifacts that she had found within the temple when the Amazon entered. Wonder Girl immediately spotted her lasso hanging at the feline female's hip.

"You have something that belongs to me," the blue haired superwoman said. "You will return it to me."

Looking up, the Cheetah sneered, "I'm afraid not, Wonder Girl," she said. "It's mine now, along with all of the artifacts in here. This will get my career back on track for sure."

"Perhaps I should rephrase what I said," the Amazon replied calmly. "Return my lasso to me, or I will take it from you."

"No," the Cheetah replied, raising a large bow he had found among the objects in the temple and knocking an arrow. "You will not."

Wonder Girl saw that the arrowhead had the distinctive gleam of Olympian bronze to it and was immediately on guard. Not even she could just shrug off a blow from a weapon made of _that_ material.

The Cheetah loosened the bowstring, and the arrow sailed forward. But something was different. The already deadly arrow transformed into a bolt of golden light the moment it left the bow, streaking toward Wonder Girl at a far greater speed than it should have.

Caught by surprise, the Amazon only just raised her arm in time to block the attack with one of her gauntlets. The blast of light deflected off of her silver bracer and went flying into one of the walls of the temple, where it exploded violently, creating a large hole and causing large chunks of ancient marble to go flying through the air.

_Olympian bronze does not do that,_ Wonder Girl thought.

It had to be the bow, she realized a moment later. Cheetah had found herself a magic item in this decrepit ruin, making the Amazon's job even harder.

She briefly wondered how much of this Apollo had planned, then decided that was ultimately irrelevant.

A feral smile crept over the Cheetah's face as she realized just what she had in her possession, and she started to knock and then fire arrows at Wonder Girl in rapid succession. They each changed into bolts of golden light like the first one had, but the Amazon was ready for them this time and deflected them with little difficulty. A trio of explosions sounded around the temple as the arrows hit the walls and erupted.

"You must stop," Wonder Girl commanded. "You will cause this place to collapse around us."

"I'm not giving up these artifacts!" the Cheetah snapped, as she readied yet another arrow.

Wonder Girl knew that she would never be able to get close enough to retrieve her lasso so long as the Cheetah was firing those arrows from that magic bow at her, and the feline femme had dozens of them at her disposal. She would bring the temple around their ears before she ran out of ammunition.

The blue haired superwoman realized what she would have to do. It was a course of action that was as likely to see her impaled as victorious, but death had never frightened Rei Ayanami, let alone the Wonder Girl.

The Cheetah fired. The Amazon didn't move her arms to block with her gauntlets.

As the arrow transformed into a bolt of deadly energy and sailed toward her, something happened to Wonder Girl's perceptions. It was something Queen Hippolyta had spoken of, but not something she'd ever experienced before, not even when Artemis had had a group of Amazonian archers open fire on her during her training.

Time seemed to slow down. Everything appeared to be happening in slow motion to Wonder Girl, and all her senses suddenly became extremely acute. She was aware of a drop of sweat that was running down the side of her face, of the smell of marble dust in the air, of the exact pattern of the spots on Cheetah's fur, and of the sound of the arrow whistling as it moved through the air at high speed.

But that didn't mean that what she intended became easy, only doable. When the arrow was little more than a hand's breadth away from her face, Wonder Girl reached up and wrapped her fingers around the shaft.

Reality abruptly returned to normal speed, and the Amazon suddenly realized that touching the enchanted arrow burned like it was on fire. Not only that, but it was still pressing forward, as though it was a rocket rather than an arrow, and it was taking a good deal of her incredible strength just to keep it from finishing its journey.

Grimacing, she turned the enchanted around, so it was facing toward the one who had shot it. The Cheetah's eyes widened.

"No!" she shouted.

Wonder Girl ignored her and let go of the arrow. It surged forward, seemingly faster than ever after having been restrained for a few seconds, as if holding it back had only made it eager. The feline femme didn't have enough time to even try and move.

However, the Amazon had not been aiming for the woman herself. Rather, the arrow struck the ground at her feet and exploded. The force of the blast sent the Cheetah flying through the air, where she was pelted with chunks of stone that had been blown out of the floor by the explosion. The transformed archeologist released a very catlike yowl of pain and indignation.

Wonder Girl didn't give her foe a moment to compose herself, immediately breaking out into a sprint toward the Cheetah. She reached her enemy only a moment after the feline femme had hit the floor, and quickly snatched her lasso away from the Cheetah.

"Yes," she said softly.

"No!" the Cheetah yelled, lashing out with the bow, which was still clutched in her paw.

Any normal wooden bow would had just broken into two pieces if used to hit the Wonder Girl that hard, but the weapon the Cheetah held was magic. It held together, even as it struck the Amazon hard enough to briefly send her reeling.

Unrelenting, the Cheetah instantly hopped to her feet and bashed Wonder Girl with the bow again and again, causing the blue haired superwoman to go staggering back several steps.

Then one of the Amazon's small hands shot out and grabbed hold of the bow before it could hit her again, stopping the Cheetah's swing cold.

The anthromorphic archeologist immediately tried to lash out with the claws on her free hand, but Wonder Girl grabbed her wrist, halting that assault just as soundly.

Then the Amazon felt the Cheetah's tail wrap around her neck once more. The feline femme grinned wickedly, her eyes shining with gleeful malice at the way her enemy had maneuvered them back into _this _position.

_Not this time,_ Wonder Girl thought, bringing her right leg up and delivering a fierce kick to the Cheetah's torso.

The Cheetah let a loud cry as the force of the attack sent her flying. The feline went sailing into the air until she struck one of the temple's marble columns dead on with a dull _thunk_.

The pillar of white stone, not very stable to begin with, was unable to take the impact. It fell right over, landing on the floor with a loud crash as it shattered into pieces.

And then the entire temple started to shudder and rumble. It was beginning to collapse.

Wonder Girl ran toward her foe, who was just lying on the floor next to the remains of the broken pillar, groaning softly.

"Cheetah," she said, pulling the transformed woman up into a sitting position. "We must escape before the temple collapses on us. Can you walk?"

The feline's response was to release a short roar worthy of her namesake and to backhand the Amazon. The attack catching her by surprise, Wonder Girl was sent sailing through the air, coming to a landing on the other side of the temple's large main room. She was about to rush over toward the Cheetah again when the rumbling sound above them suddenly grew louder. Her eyes snapped upwards just in time to see great chunks of the ceiling come tumbling downwards. The Amazon braced herself, knowing that what was coming would be unpleasant.

And then she disappeared in a flash of golden sunlight.

* * *

The next thing Wonder Girl knew, she was back in her dingy apartment, and Apollo was scowling down at her.

"How—?"

"I brought you back here," the god cut her off.

"Please, send me back," the Amazon replied. "That other woman was probably buried by the debris."

"She'll be fine. Particularly annoying mortals like her always are," Apollo grumbled, before turning the full force of his glare down on the champion of the Amazons. "You destroyed my temple."

"It was…incidental," Wonder Girl replied. "However, it achieved the objective. You instructed me to do whatever I had to do to prevent the place from being invaded by a horde of archeologists. I believe it is safe to say that no one will be descending upon that pile of rubble."

Wonder Girl might not have been able to keep her face blank if she hadn't had so much practice at it. She had a feeling the god might turn her to dust on the spot if she dared to let the slightest trace of smile onto her face, but it was remarkably satisfying to have paid Apollo back for everything he'd done to her. Even if it had been by accident.

Apollo regarded her for a long, long moment, as though searching her soul for any hint that she had destroyed his temple deliberately.

Apparently finding none, he finally spoke. "Very well. This was not at all what I had in mind, but I suppose I must call your debt to me paid," he said. "However, you can expect no more help from Apollo."

With that, the god turned and stalked out of her apartment.

_Good riddance,_ Wonder Girl thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, the Cheetah was trapped in the remains of the temple she had sought to excavate. Though her superhuman agility and speed had allowed her to avoid most of the pieces of the ceiling as they had come raining down, one particularly large piece had finally caught her and had pinned her legs.

"Damn that bitch," the Cheetah growled as she tried to move the piece of rubble that kept her trapped.

Her efforts failed to so much as budge the thing; while she was faster than Wonder Girl, she was nowhere near as strong, and in her current position, she couldn't gain any leverage to make the task easier.

As the minutes ticked by, the transformed archeologist's anger started to change into fear. With the disappearance of the Amazon, there wasn't another person around for miles. If she couldn't free herself, she wasn't going to get free.

Just before her fear changed to panic and she began to scream pointlessly for help, a voice spoke from behind her.

"Need some help, Dr. Minerva?"

The Cheetah turned her head to look at the new arrival, finding a young man garbed in ancient Greek armor that had been forged from a black metal.

"Who are you?" she asked, all too conscious of how vulnerable she was in her current position.

"In some circles I'm known as the Dark Centurion," he answered. "My father told me I'd find a lady in distress here. Tell me, what is my help in freeing you from this situation worth to you?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **When I first sat down to write it, I really expected this chapter to be more filler than anything else. I had no ideas for Rei interfering in this Angel battle, so I needed to find some reason to keep her from going to Mount Asuma. Having Apollo tap her for the favor she owes him worked, and I figured I could take the opportunity to bring in an actual Wonder Woman villain and inject some action. So far as archenemies of major heroes go, the Cheetah tends to come off as pretty second-tier, but I figured, what the heck?

Then I actually sat down to write this out, and I found myself setting down a lot of the groundwork for stuff that will happen in later chapters, Takai and Asuka's relationship not being the least of them. So, all in all, I have to say I'm more pleased with this chapter than I expected to be.

**Quathis, **though I like Gold Digger, I've never read that particular issue. The idea for the perverted skeletons came from my beta reader. He might have gotten it from GD, though.

**Gunman,** the other gods can't really do much to Hades, seeing as how he's already been banished from Olympus. Also, I really don't want to cross this over with Percy Jackson. This stories probably influence this fic too much as it is, and adding more universes to the mix always makes fics harder to control.

**Aoirann,** I admit I don't really like that either, which makes me rather embarrassed that I'm doing it myself in this fic. It's pretty damn easy to paint Hades as a villain, I'm discovering.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.

Now for some fun!

* * *

Omakes

Care Package (guest omake by my beta reader)

(A/N: Having seen the USA Network's commercials for _Burn Notice_—an awesome show in my humble opinion—will make this easier to get. Knowing about the crazy universe my beta reader has formed which crosses over roughly every fictional universe ever would also help.)

Rei stood there as Apollo left her apartment, fuming at the God for his …. what was the term that Captain Katsuragi used some times? 'Assholeness'.

Yeah. It fit right now-even if Rei did not say it aloud, lest she find out the hard way that Apollo had decided to stick around.

She stood there, staring at the door, for a pretty long time. And it surprised her when it answered back.

It was a knock, a pretty quiet one, but one that her enhanced senses could pick up with ease. Blinking in surprise, she walked to the door and opened it, looking around and then to the floor. There was a package on the floor, long and thin, with a series of 'OVERNITE' labels on it. Picking it up, Rei found it to be hefty (but nothing that she could not handle), and she took it inside, closing the door behind her.

The package, when opened, revealed to be full of gizmos of several kinds, with a neatly-folded letter on top, which she opened.

"Dear Rei," the letter read. "I understand that recently you have had to face off against a bad guy that the Tattler has labeled the 'Dark Centurion' as well as having been forced to do things that you have not been willing to do by those at the Pantheon. I know exactly what that is like, and I support that you will do what is right and do grievous bodily damage to those that try to stand in your way. I have, however, enclosed some items that I believe might come in handy."

Rei looked at the inside of the pack and started to pull out the item within, reading the letter as she did so..

"Inside you will find: a pair of sunglasses, because you need to 'look cool' while you do your assignments. It is also a normal item among pilots." Said sunglasses were sleek and blue, and she put them on the table

"Also, you will find a bottle of sunscreen, because even invulnerable skins can develop conditions if constantly exposed to the elements." The dark brown bottle of Coppertone that Rei pulled out said that it was classified for 'atomic explosion' intensity, and Rei applied a little of it to her hand, sniffing it and finding the coconut smell satisfying.

"As well, for the case of self-defense, enclosed you will find a spray. Its combination of capsicum, hallucinogens and catnip might come in handy if you ever need to blind an enemy." The little keychain-sized spray had the label 'DIGGERS TECHNOLOGIES 'CRYBABY'-KRYPTONIAN-STRENGTH POTENCY' on it, and Rei placed it on the table very gently, reading the warning labels that mentioned such things as 'in case of accidental exposure, contact your local eye surgeon.'

"You will also find a block of C-6 and a pair of Demolition Grenades, because you never know when you will need a stable plastic explosive, or to destroy a building by means other than your strength. I suggest you be careful about the Demolition Grenades, since they are pretty powerful." The lump of dark gray material and the two small dark maroon canisters were set on the table like they were made of glass-although actually, it was more like they would go off if she even looked at them funny.

"Finally…" Rei noticed the final (and biggest) item in the box and paused her reading to pull it out, hefting it ion her hand. The large sword (or what she supposed to be a sword) had jagged teeth and what looked like an engine near the handgrip, a large red button jutting from its bottom where her thumb could easily press it as she wielded it. The sword also had the color pattern of her uniform, blue for the grip, red and gold for the rest of it.

"Finally," she resumed reading. "An Angevin-Pattern Chainsword. It is powered by Unobtanium, so you do not need worry about recharging it, and you will find the maintenance manual on the box as well. A Chainsword is not a practical weapon of war, as it were, although its intimidation factor is a massive plus when facing off against an enemy-you will find out that not even the bravest of demons or gods like the idea of having a chainsaw stuck on their entrails. I sincerely suggest that you practice with it before using it in actual battle."

"Best of luck, your friend and sister, Rei Ayanami (Alternate # 08018-z-018, a.k.a. 'Wonder Girl')."

Rei stood there for a moment, then picked up a pen and scribbled a few choice words of the letter on the paper, noticing that her handwriting matched it in full.

Rei looked at the chainsword for a moment and then thumbed the red button, the sword kicking it with a purring it like kitten's. She took a couple of experimental swings with it and then copied a word that she had heard Captain Katsuragi say a few times:

"Groovy."

On the other side of the fourth wall, on the country of Costa Rica, Marco Salazar Matamoros sat before his computer, with all-too-familiar albino girl grasping his head in a half-nelson.

"She got the package, see?", he said to the albino girl, "Now can you let go of my head, please? I think I'm losing feeling of my right side."

The albino girl (Rei Ayanami (Alternate # 08018-z-018))looked at the computer screen for a few seconds and then let go, nodding in satisfaction and then leaving the room. Marco reset his glasses on his face and then huffed out a 'you're welcome' before starting to write again on his computer.

"This is what I get for letting her read stuff with me…" he muttered.

* * *

Bastard-Off!

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Takai asked as he walked in the NERV Commander's cavernous office.

"Correct," Gendo replied. "It has come to my attention that you are currently preparing to do several bastardly things, including backstabbing multiple people, and doubtlessly inflicting great emotional distress upon the Second Child eventually, assuming you do not just kill her."

Swallowing, Takai just stood there, wondering where this was going and how quickly he could shadow teleport away.

"It would appear that you're trying to be a bigger manipulative bastard than I am," Gendo said. "That is unacceptable."

Relieved, Takai smiled slightly. "Well, sir, if I'm just that much better at it than you, I don't think you have much of a choice to accept it."

Gendo fumed. This was difficult to tell, because the cold man looked exactly the same as any other time when he was fuming. But he fumed, all right.

"We must settle this right now," he said.

"There are only two ways to determine which of us is the bigger bastard right now," Takai said. "A bunny, puppy, and kitten killing contest, or—"

"Staring contest," Gendo said seriously.

Silently, Takai grabbed a chair and sat next to the Commander's desk, opposite him. The two both folded their hands in front of their face and began to just stare silently at each other.

"You can't hope to win this," Gendo said after a few minutes. "Do you know what people refer to the pose we are both in? They call it 'the Gendo pose.' I am the original cold, evil bastard."

"I'm the son of the death god," Takai replied. "I think that evens the score a bit."

The resumed staring at each other for several minutes.

Then Fuyutski entered the office, frowning as he took in the scene before him. "What are you two doing?" he asked.

"A staring contest," Takai answered, not looking away from Gendo.

"You can't be serious," Fuyutski said incredulously.

"I am always serious, Sensei," Gendo replied, also not diverting his gaze.

"So…the first one to blink loses?" Fuyutski asked after a moment.

"No," Takai and Gendo both replied in unison.

"First one to smile loses?" the old man asked.

"No," they said again, voices perfectly flat.

"Then how do you determine who wins?" Fuyutski asked, throwing his hands up in the air in a gesture of consternation.

"The one who manages to suck out the other's soul with nothing more than the steely power of his coldly malevolent gaze is the victor," Gendo said.

"Indeed," Takai agreed.

"Oh," Fuyutski said, "I see. If you'll excuse me, I have to go…be somewhere that's not here now."

"Very well, you're dismissed," Gendo said.

Fuyutski quickly left the room. "Idiots," he grumbled once the door had closed behind him.

* * *

The Dangers of Being Impatient

"Call me," Asuka said with a grin, before walking off to head for NERV with a couple of Section Two agents who had stepped forward after inexpertly shadowing the Second Child the whole time she'd been outside the Geofront.

"I will," Takai promised with a smile.

Then Asuka and her escorts melted into the crowd at the mall, leaving him alone. Takai allowed himself a grin of triumph as he walked off; that had gone even better than he'd expected.

Of course, he could have easily killed her right then, but with her bodyguards around, it wouldn't have been smart. If Ikari found out that his new secret weapon against Wonder Girl had murdered one of the pilots, Takai could kiss his new level of access to NERV goodbye.

So he would bide his time, using his knowledge of Asuka to become her confidant, and when he felt confident he could get away with it, he would kill the pilot of EVA Unit Two.

"Eh, screw it," he muttered to himself. "I'll just kill her now."

He jogged into the crowd after her. "Asuka!" he called.

The redhead stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"Say good-night!" he yelled, producing a wicked looking knife and charging toward her before the two goons in the black suit could stop him.

The tip of the blade connected right in the center of the Second Child's throat…and then broke, leaving her quite unharmed.

For several long seconds, Takai just stared dumbly at the remains of his knife.

Then all the pieces started to come together in his head.

"Oh, _crap_," he breathed.

Asuka sighed. "I guess it's true what they say. The cute ones are all taken, gay, or insane," she observed, while cracking her knuckles menacingly.

Takai turned and try to run. The Second Child reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. Her hand felt a vice clamping down on him.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" she asked.

Takai just whimpered in response.

* * *

Basic Rules of Super Villainy

The Amazon awoke some indeterminate period of later, groaning softly. At first she was sorely tempted to allow herself to drift back into unconsciousness, if only to escape the throbbing pain in her head.

Then she remembered what had transpired before she'd passed out, and she instantly snapped to full wakefulness, immediately taking stock of her situation.

She was tied to a thick tree, and she realized to her horror that the Cheetah had used her magic lasso to bind her. Not even her incredible strength could break the golden rope. She would be trapped until the Cheetah came back for her, if she ever did!

Then the solution to her problem struck her.

"Oh," she said. "_Duh_."

The Cheetah was surveying all the splendid artifacts she had found when she heard a crashing sound from the entrance to the temple. The feline femme instantly tensed, suspecting it was the Wonder Girl again, but how could that be? She had been securely tied to a tree with an indestructible rope.

"Cheetah, I believe we have unfinished business to conclude," the blue haired Amazon said as she came into view.

The feline super villain felt like smacking herself as she saw her foe. The Amazon was _still_ tied to a tree, but she had uprooted the thing and simply taken it with her.

"Super villain rule number 59," she muttered to herself. "When tying a superhero to something, _always_ make sure it's strong enough to withstand their efforts to escape."

"Would you prefer we exchange witty banter and one of us makes the nearly inevitable 'got wood?' joke, or shall we skip right to the part where I defeat you despite not having the use of my arms?" Wonder Girl asked.

The Cheetah grimaced at the mention of _that_ potential joke. "Let's just go to the part where you beat me up," she said.

"Very well."


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: **The Battle of the Labyrinth

Overall, Takai Banryu felt that he was doing quite well with his mission. Not only had he thwarted Wonder Girl once already, but matters with the Second Child were going well; his trip to a coffee shop with her had been a success, and Asuka had agreed to go out with him again.

Takai was confident he would soon have her eating out of his hand, without her even having a clue that she was doing it. She would unwittingly grant him the access he needed to destroy all of NERV's defenses.

So what happened next caught him quite by surprise.

It started with a familiar pooling of shadows inside his dim apartment. Knowing exactly who was paying him a visit, Takai quickly went down on one knee, genuflecting respectfully.

No one greeted the God of the Underworld casually, not even his own son.

"Takai," Hades greeted the demigod as the darkness solidified into his form.

"Father," Takai responded softly.

"What are you doing here?" Hades demanded.

All of the demigod's usual poise and composure was shattered by that abrupt question. "H-Huh?" he stammered in response.

"You lost a fight to the champion of the Amazons, and then you flirted with one of the Evangelion pilots for a brief while. You should be out making up for lost time, not sitting here, doing nothing," Hades said, in a voice cold enough to restore the Antarctic ice sheets that Second Impact had destroyed.

"Y-Yes, Father," Takai said, in a voice very unlike the confident tones a certain redhead was becoming familiar with.

Hades sneered down at his offspring, who was suddenly all but sniveling before him. "Listen to me," he said, "events are about to converge in such a manner that, if you act correctly, you can destroy all three of the pilots in one fell swoop without it even being obvious that it was you behind it all."

"That would practically guarantee the victory of the Angels," Takai said.

"Indeed," Hades agreed. "And that is why I am going to give you something to aid you in your task."

He reached into his ebony robes and withdrew a small block of gray stone. It looked normal enough, but Takai could easily feel the power buzzing about it. A symbol had been carved into it, he saw, as his father handed it to him. At first, he thought it was merely a triangle, but then he realized that wasn't correct. The symbol was the Greek letter delta.

"Tell me what I need to know, Father," Takai said, running his hands over the smooth surface of the enchanted piece of stone. "Let me be your sword in the world of the living."

"You'll need to work out the details for yourself, of course," Hades said brusquely. "But this is what's going to happen just a few days hence…"

* * *

"You're doing very well, Shinji-kun," Rei Ayanami said, standing up to her chest in the water of the NERV pool as she watched the Third Child swim across the width of deep end using the breast stroke. "Your progress is very impressive."

Shinji didn't immediately respond, paddling over to Rei and allowing his feet to touch the bottom of the pool before he spoke. "Thank you, but I know that I must've been a very slow learner. I'm sure most people would have picked it all up a long time ago."

This was probably true. Multiple times while practicing in the deep end of the pool, panic had nearly overwhelmed Shinji, and Rei had had to come to the Third Child's rescue. Shinji had usually retreated back to the shallow end of the pool following such an episode, which had no doubt retarded his progress significantly.

And yet despite this, Rei _was_ impressed. True, Shinji learning to swim hadn't exactly been an awe inspiring display of aquatic prowess, but he had persevered until he was, if nothing else, a competent swimmer, despite his obvious fear of water.

It was not, she mused, something the boy she'd found cowering in his bed at the NERV infirmary prior to Operation Yashima could have done.

The thought made her remember how, not long ago, they had been in the pool and had told each other that they were changing. Rei wondered if she was changing as much as Shinji was. She wondered if he realized how different he had become from the person he'd been in the past.

"Rei?" Shinji spoke up, frowning slightly at her long moment of silence.

She blinked and focused on him, realizing that she wanted to convey all of what she'd just been thinking to Shinji, but finding that she had no idea how she would even begin.

"Your progress is very impressive," she repeated instead.

Shinji just shook his head, seeming to indicate that he still didn't believe that for a moment. Yet there was a small smile on his face.

Apparently, the Third Child was pleased with himself, for once. The thought somehow warmed Rei.

"I do not believe that there is anything else I can teach you about swimming. What you lack now is practice," Rei said. "Unless, of course, you wish to learn how to dive."

Shinji's face paled at the suggestion. "Ah, no, thank you, Rei."

They were silent for a moment, and Rei realized that, with Shinji's instruction in the practice of swimming effectively complete, she didn't know what to do next. She realized that their regular rendezvous at the pool might now come to an end and found that the idea saddened her a great deal.

"I am going to swim some laps," she announced eventually. "You are welcome to swim with me if you wish."

He nodded, and the First Child was surprised by the level of relief she felt that he wasn't going to just leave now. For several minutes, the two of them simply swam to one end of the pool to the other, repeatedly. It was a quiet activity; save for the sound of their movement through the water. There were no opportunities for conversation, as they'd had when she saw teaching him, but Rei found that that was all right. It wasn't as if the two quiet teens had ever spent great periods of time chattering back and forth, and she discovered she enjoyed his mere presence.

Eventually, Shinji began to tire, and he climbed out of the pool. Rei, with her Amazonian abilities, could have swum laps all day long, but she exited the water as well. Once she had dried her hair enough with a towel so that it was no longer dripping wet, she looked around the pool room, which was empty save for herself and Shinji.

"Searching for someone?" he asked.

"The Second," Rei answered. "I was under the impression that Captain Katsuragi had ordered her to join us here for purposes of 'team bonding.'"

Shinji smiled, amused. "I think that was more a suggestion than an order," he said. "And even if Misato had made it an order, I wouldn't be surprised if Asuka didn't come anyway."

"Why is that?" Rei asked.

"Oh, she's on a date with her new boyfriend," Shinji said.

Rei frowned slightly. "I was not aware that he was her boyfriend."

The Second Child had, for some reason Rei didn't quite understand, felt the need to inform her that she was "seeing" a young man. Then the redhead had looked at her expectantly. Rei had eventually said "that's good for you" which apparently wasn't the desired response; Asuka had walked off in a state of obvious annoyance and disappointment, grumbling softly to herself.

But while the redhead had made a point of saying that the young man she was seeing was very tall and mature, she seemed to deliberately avoid phrases such as "dating" and "boyfriend."

"Oh," Shinji said, looking amused. "She won't say it, but it's pretty obvious that this guy's her boyfriend."

"Why?" Rei asked.

She was still quite ignorant of whatever social cues might allow someone to see when others were officially dating instead of merely "seeing" one another (a distinction she did not quite understand, but one which many of those around her, particularly the other female students at school, seemed to feel held a great deal of importance), and she was genuinely curious about them.

However, the question appeared to make Shinji uncomfortable. She saw his hand begin to twitch in that nervous tic of his.

"Oh, I don't know," Shinji said, suddenly looking like he wished he'd never opened his mouth. "Asuka obviously thinks very highly of him, and she's been trying to spend time with him whenever she can. And I assume he feels the same way."

"I see," Rei said.

Shinji relaxed.

"Shinji-kun," Rei said, "all those things seem to be true of us. Are we boyfriend and girlfriend?"

The First Child never would have believed that someone could blush so deeply as to turn _that_ particular shade of purple, had she not seen Shinji do it right then.

"Um… I, um…" Shinji went over to one of the poolside tables, where he'd left some of his things. He snatched up his cell phone. "Oh, it looks like Misato tried to get in touch with me! I should go see what she wants! I'll see you later, Rei!"

And with that he beat a very hasty retreat.

Rei stared at the door he had fled through for a long moment. Then, not turning around, she spoke, "What did I do wrong?"

The question was not rhetorical, and the bikini-clad blond bombshell lounging in one of the pool chairs—who hadn't been there mere moments ago—laughed.

"Am I becoming that predictable?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes," Rei answered simply, turning to look at the goddess of love.

Aphrodite smirked. "Anyway, to answer your question, he's just nervous and maybe a little afraid of commitment," she said. "Slow and steady wins the race, Rei-chan."

Rei silently mulled over that for a moment. "I find his fear of commitment… irritating," she said eventually.

Aphrodite just laughed. "You and millions and millions of other women on the planet."

* * *

Meanwhile, far above NERV headquarters, Asuka and Takai were having dinner in a nice restaurant in Tokyo-3. The Second Child was doing most of the talking, telling him things about her training to pilot Evangelion that were probably classified. The demigod didn't mind, even though the information wasn't particularly useful to him; it was easier to allow her to carry the conversation. All he had to do was appear suitably impressed at the right moments and he'd easily stay on her good side.

"How in the world did you manage to earn a college degree while doing all of that?" Takai asked, as Asuka finished one anecdote about fighting Angels in EVA simulators.

"Oh, it wasn't that hard," the redhead waved the compliment away with false modesty.

Takai just shook his head. "I never could've done that," he said. Then grinned and added. "At least, not _easily_, like you apparently did."

Asuka smirked at his show of bravado. "Of course not. You're a guy. Men are bad at multitasking," she replied, then took a sip of her drink. "This is very good wine." She commented.

Takai smiled at that. "I like to think I have very good taste," he said. "In drinks and… more important matters, too," he smiled roguishly at her as he said this.

Asuka smirked. "Down, boy," she said, but it was obvious that she was pleased by the compliment. She drained her wineglass and then rose from the table. "Excuse me. I need to powder my nose. Guard my purse."

"With my life, if need be," he said with a smirk.

The demigod watched as she left the room, and then allowed himself to slump back in his chair slightly. He was starting to think that ordering the wine had been a mistake. The EVA pilot had clearly been impressed when he'd ordered it and gotten it served to them without protest (something he'd accomplished by applying a mixture of intimidation, bribery, and his special abilities before she'd arrived), but things hadn't exactly proceeded as he'd planned after that.

He'd been hoping to earn brownie points by _not_ taking advantage of her after she drank too much, but, strangely, the girl wasn't showing any effects from consuming the alcohol, even though she'd been drinking it like it was really just grape juice. Takai, who'd been partaking far more carefully, was already feeling unpleasantly warm, and he weighed significantly more than the redhead.

_Does she make a habit of drinking as much as she claims her guardian does?_ He wondered.

Takai shook his head in an attempt to clear it, and then glanced around to see if anyone was watching him. No one was; all the other patrons were quite occupied with their own food and their own companions.

He reached over to the small white purse Asuka had left on the table and began to quickly search it. After a moment of riffling through the contents, he managed to find what he was looking for.

Her NERV emergency manual.

Opening it, Takai quickly began to skim through the contents, very aware that he probably only had a minute or two before Asuka returned and caught him. He would have liked to just take the thing and study it later, but he didn't feel confident that she would fail to notice its absence until he managed to quietly return it.

Fortunately for him, he found what he was looking for pretty quickly. A grin formed on his face as he read the section of the manual that was relevant to him.

If the pilots followed the procedures that they were supposed to, his plan would be even easier to execute than he had hoped.

Satisfied, Takai returned the booklet to its place in Asuka's purse and then closed the bag.

The redheaded EVA pilot returned from the restroom a moment later, to find Takai casually waiting for her.

"I'm back," she announced.

"So I see," he replied. "So, dessert?"

* * *

It was a popular but not entirely accurate belief that nobody lived in Tokyo-3 unless they worked for NERV and thus had no choice but to remain in the giant death trap. The truth of the matter wasn't so much better, but things weren't _that_ bad.

At least, not yet.

In reality, the population density of Tokyo-3 was very low for what was supposed to be a major city, but there were more residents than just the NERV personnel. After all, not even the members of the secretive paramilitary organization could live by EVA alone; they needed to buy groceries, , to get their hair cut, to have their cars repaired when they broke down, and to purchase a score of other necessary goods and services just like any other people.

Certain enterprising individuals had figured this out and had opted to remain in the city, despite the risk. In Tokyo-3, shopkeepers could charge prices that they could get away with nowhere else in Japan.

Of course, this left the hard working and often underpaid members of NERV caught in the middle.

At the current moment, three of them could be found at an automated laundromat facility, picking up their clothing on their way to work.

"The cost of getting my laundry done is killing me," Maya complained as one of the machines spat out her clean clothes.

"Yeah," Ritsuko agreed as she took her own clothing. "I wish I had enough time to clean my clothes myself. It would save me a boatload."

"Hey, could be worse," Aoba said. "At least we still sleep in our own homes."

"Speak for yourself," Ritsuko said ruefully.

The three of them departed from the laundromat and boarded a train that would take them into the Geofront. The passenger car was nearly empty at the moment, save for the number two man of NERV.

"Good morning, Vice Commander," Ritsuko greeted him casually as she sat down.

"Good morning, sir!" Maya and Aoba, both of whom were far lower on the chain than Ritsuko, greeted the Vice Commander far more formally.

"Morning," Fuyutski grunted at them, part of his attention remaining on the newspaper he was reading.

There was an interesting story about a mysterious fire engulfing a garbage dump just outside the city. Apparently, some neglectful workers had failed to drain the gas tanks of the junked cars there, but no one knew what had managed to actually start the fire.

The Vice Commander completely forgot to order the two technicians at ease, so they remained standing, despite there being an ample number of seats available in the car. Only when the train actually started moving did they break their ramrod straight poses, reaching up to grab a handle.

"You're heading into work late," Ritsuko commented as she sat down.

"I had to go to a city council meeting," Fuyutski grumbled. "Ikari always delegates all the most boring jobs to me."

"Say, isn't there an election coming up?" Maya asked.

"Yes, but it really isn't important. The city council has no power," Fuyutski explained. "Everything is decided by the MAGI. Which I guess is a form of democracy, seeing as how the three of them vote on everything." He added wryly.

Maya smiled. "We're so lucky to be living in a city of science."

Aoba released a small, cynical chuckle.

"What?" Maya asked, frowning.

"Maybe we live in a city of science, but the fact is, everybody's infatuated with the girl who can mysteriously fly without wings, not NERV," the long haired man responded.

"You really think that everybody cares about Wonder Girl more than NERV?" Maya asked.

Aoba smirked. "A PR battle against a cute girl in a brief costume is one fight that even the Evangelions can't hope to win."

Ritsuko just sighed and shook her head, not sure what left her more exasperated: Aoba, or the fact that he was probably right.

* * *

Asuka Langley Soryu was in a good mood. Indeed, she was in such a good mood that she'd barely gotten annoyed when Shinji had started to worry aloud about a call he was making getting disconnected; an issue so minor that she was amazed he'd even bothered to mention it at all.

Of course, it was no mystery why the Second Child was in such a pleased state.

Takai was just so much more mature than the losers she had to deal with everyday at school, Asuka thought with satisfaction. The little boys who practically worshipped the ground she walked on there might _try_ to act adult, but they tried too hard, and an act was all it was. In stark contrast, Takai clearly projected his air of maturity effortlessly.

Unfortunately, some of the…fringe benefits she'd been hoping to garner as a side effect of the relationship weren't materializing.

Kaji had seemed pleased when she told him she was seeing someone, rather than becoming jealous, as she'd secretly hoped. Asuka wouldn't have exactly considered it a nightmare scenario if the two men had started fighting over her.

Almost as irksome was Ayanami's response to the news, or, more accurately, her lack of a response. The First Child was completely indifferent to the intelligence that Asuka had found herself a real man. And really, if anyone had reason to be jealous over the knowledge that Asuka had found herself a real man, it was Ayanami, who was stuck with the wimpy Third Child.

Yet despite these minor annoyances, Asuka was in a very good mood. It was a pity that she wouldn't have been if she knew what Takai was up to.

* * *

"Hey! Hold the elevator!" Kaji shouted as he sprinted down the hallway in NERV headquarters.

Standing in the elevator car alone, the Operations Director carefully kept her expression perfectly neutral. However, her hand reached out, finger stabbing the door close button. With what seemed like terrible slowness to her, the elevator doors started to slide shut.

_Oh, this is going to be close,_ she thought as Kaji continued to approach. _Still, I think I just might…_

The long haired man abruptly managed to squeeze out just a little more speed for the last twenty meters or so of his sprint and managed to get his hand between the doors just before they closed completely. They immediately started to swing open again, allowing the now panting man to enter.

"Wow…it's been a while…since I ran that fast," he commented between gasps, almost doubled over as the doors now did close.

Misato didn't comment. Instead, she just glared down at him.

"Why so sour looking this morning, brown eyes?" Kaji asked, standing up straight as he recovered.

"It's nausea from having to see you," Misato replied.

"Hey, don't be like that," Kaji replied, not exactly sounding very hurt by the remark.

Misato just scowled at him, and silently told herself that the elevator would reach her floor any second now. Then she could escape the confined little space and, if she worked it just right, not see her ex-boyfriend again for the rest of the day.

Of course, it was at exactly that moment that the flow of electricity to the city's power grid failed. The elevator suddenly jolted unpleasantly, and the florescent lights in the ceiling went out, plunging the interior of the car into total darkness.

"Well…" Kaji said, sounding a mite too cheerful to Misato's ears, and as if he somehow knew _exactly_ what she'd been thinking a moment ago.

Or as if he saw opportunity in this situation.

"The backup generators should kick right on," Misato said confidently. "We just need to wait a minute, and we'll be moving again."

A brief moment of silence followed, and then the harsh orange tint of the emergency lights filled the elevator car.

"Does that mean the backup generators are about to come on?" Kaji asked innocently.

"Shut up," Misato grumbled.

* * *

Above ground, the pilots had just arrived at one of the many Geofront access points to be found dotted throughout the city. The First Child approached the entrance and swiped her NERV ID card to open the doors.

However, the reader neither rejected nor accepted her card. Instead, the little screen above it remained dark, and the steel doors that kept unauthorized individuals out of the Geofront refused to budge.

Behind her, the Second Child quickly grew impatient by the delay.

"Here, let me do it!" Asuka exclaimed, shoving Rei aside with surprising strength and pulling out her own card.

The Second Child swiped her own ID card through the reader far more energetically than the blue haired girl had. However, this, too, failed to produce any sort of result.

"Stupid thing must be broken!" Asuka proclaimed with no small amount of irritation.

"We should call headquarters and inform them of this," Rei said.

"Right!" Asuka agreed, already taking out her cell phone. "I wouldn't mind having a word with whoever's in charge of maintaining these things, too. Honestly, this route is used too often to just be allowed to fall into disrepair."

The redhead quickly dialed a number on her phone, then held it up to her ear. However, her scowl only deepened after a few seconds.

"It's dead," she reported. "I'm not even getting that stupid 'hang up, and then dial again' message. There's just dead air."

"Just like when I called my father before," Shinji said.

"Yes, exactly like that. Thank you, I never would have made the connection otherwise," Asuka snapped.

Rei frowned, but resisted the urge to say something in Shinji's defense. Aphrodite had told her that men usually didn't appreciate having women defend them, due to matters of pride. And, besides that, there were now reasons to believe that something was wrong at headquarters. That had to take priority.

"We should attempt to contact headquarters through other means before we proceed," Rei said.

Her fellow pilots agreed, and the three of them tried to get in touch with NERV via landlines and an emergency phone present at the Geofront access point. However, the result with all of them was same. The base just couldn't be reached by telephone at the present time, it seemed.

"This one's dead, too," Shinji said, hanging up one of the phones. "Now what?"

Rei wordlessly began to reach into her school bag. Asuka apparently realized what the First Child was searching for, because she quickly started to reach into her own bag.

"What are you looking for?" Shinji asked.

"I'm looking for my emergency manual, stupid!" Asuka snapped in reply.

"How did you know the power was going to fail today?" the Cheetah asked the Dark Centurion a brief time later.

The demigod smirked beneath his Corinthian helmet. "The same way I knew that you'd be needing me help," he replied cryptically.

The anthropomorphic archeologist clearly wasn't pleased with that answer, but she made no protest, save for a low growl in the back of her throat which the Dark Centurion ignored.

The two of them were standing atop a building and looking down at the trio of Evangelion pilots, who were now attempting to open up one of the doors that would lead them into the network of tunnels beneath the city, and then, they hoped, NERV headquarters.

"Why don't we just kill them now?" Cheetah asked.

"Because they can run away now," the Dark Centurion replied.

"Three kids won't be able to escape from me," Cheetah bragged, holding up her hand and causing her long, sharp claws to pop out and reveal themselves.

"I wouldn't put it past Wonder Girl to show up if you tried," the Dark Centurion replied, and the name caused Cheetah to hiss angrily. "Out here, she could ruin everything, but in there, she'll be almost as helpless as they'll be. Besides, I need to be absolutely sure that no one can trace this to me, which means that they can't die in plain sight on a public street."

"I still say you're overcomplicating this," Cheetah replied.

"Too bad," the Dark Centurion said flatly. "Remember, I'm in charge here. Not you."

"Fine, you're the boss," Cheetah said. "So long as I get the artifacts you promised me, once the job's done."

The Dark Centurion rolled his eyes, another gesture that was obscured by the helm of black metal he wore. "I assure you, I'll provide you with enough ancient Greek artifacts to propel you to the top of your field," he promised.

_Though, really, saving you from a slow and terrible death should have been enough to gain your services,_ he thought in annoyance.

Well, the joke was really on her. If his plan worked, the world would end very soon, assuming that NERV couldn't get new pilots from seemingly nowhere, and that the Dummy System was as far away from completion as he'd been led to believe.

Finally, after much struggling and some help from an impatient Asuka, the Third Child managed to get the door to the underground tunnels open. The three pilots disappeared into the darkness moments later, closing the door after themselves.

"There, they're in," Cheetah said, "let's move."

The Dark Centurion held up an arm to restrain her. "Patience," he said. "Give them a few minutes to get turned around in the dark. Let them get away from the entrance. _Then_ we'll make our move."

The Cheetah grumbled something incomprehensible beneath her breath, but she agreed.

The Dark Centurion gave it fifteen minutes, then he finally deemed it time. He and the Cheetah made their way down to the street level, then over to the armored door the pilots had used.

"I believe it's customary for the man to open a door for the lady," Cheetah commented.

The Dark Centurion didn't reply. Instead, he wordlessly drew his sword and then slashed at the thick metal door a few times. There was no visible change in the barrier as a result.

"Did you even touch it?" Cheetah asked after a moment.

Then the door fell to pieces, all of which landed on the ground with a metallic clatter. The Dark Centurion turned to look at his accomplice.

"Careful," he said. "Some of those shards are probably sharp."

"Smartass," Cheetah growled.

With a smirk, the Dark Centurion reached into his robes and withdrew the stone brick his father had given him. The lord of the underworld had informed him that it was an ancient piece of masonry, having once been part of the keystone of a mythical structure on the island of Crete.

And that structure was about to exist again, in the city of Tokyo-3.

Stepping over the pile of broken pieces of metal that were the remains of the door, the Dark Centurion pressed the stone against the wall of the tunnel entrance. The brick seemed to melt into it, like it wasn't stone at all.

And then the side of the tunnel themselves began to change, transforming from modern corridors to walls made of dark stone. The lights which could be found at regular intervals were replaced by burning torches held in metal brackets. The change swept along the walls as far down the tunnel as the demigod and the feline could see.

"There," he said, "it's done."

"Which means I can finally get started," Cheetah said.

"Now, you're _sure_ that you can successfully navigate in there?" the Dark Centurion asked.

"Positive," Cheetah said haughtily.

"Very well," the Dark Centurion said. "I'll be sending in some…other things, just to ensure that we get all the pilots, but they won't attack you."

"Understood," Cheetah said.

And with that, she rushed into the darkness, eager to get her job done.

* * *

Rei had to admit that she was…grudgingly impressed with how adept the Second Child was proving herself to be at navigating the tunnels beneath the city. When Asuka had essentially proclaimed herself leader of the group and had led them into the access tunnels despite being, among the three pilots, the least familiar with the base, Rei had felt certain that the redhead would soon become completely lost.

Yet, somehow, that hadn't happened yet. While the route Asuka had taken them on so far was slightly longer than the one Rei would have used, they were still making fairly good time.

Which was definitely a good thing, considering that they had recently heard Hyuga Makoto proclaiming that an Angel was approaching the city as he sped by in a commandeered campaign van above them.

"Well, Asuka, which way now?" Shinji asked the redhead as the three of them reached a fork in their path.

The redhead was silent for a moment, just staring ahead with a far away look in her eyes. Rei would have thought that the Second Child was consulting a mental map of the underground routes, except she knew that it was extremely unlikely that Asuka had such a thing in her mind.

However, instead of miraculously picking the right direction, as she had so far been doing, Asuka instead frowned and looked back. "Do you hear something?" she asked.

"No," Shinji replied.

"I do not…" Rei trailed off, a slight frown appearing on her face. "Yes, I hear something."

But she couldn't identify the sound; she could barely make a guess. It sound like something heavy shifting. Or perhaps many somethings shifting position.

"I don't hear anything," Shinji said.

But both girls ignored him, their ears pricked and confused expressions on their faces as they tried to figure out just what the sound was.

As they did so, the noise became loud enough for Shinji to hear, and he also turned to look back at the way they had come, a frown on his face.

Not long after that, they finally saw what was causing the sound. A strange transformation was sweeping across the walls, changing them from the modern, utilitarian walls into structures made of black stone.

"What the hell?" Asuka said softly as she watched the structure they were currently inside of mutating before her very eyes.

Then the change reached the areas where the pilots were standing, but the metamorphosis of the tunnels beneath the city didn't limit itself to just what the walls were composed of. The very ground beneath their feet convulsed abruptly, more like the floor was suddenly a thing alive than earth that was quaking. The floor bulged upwards, not breaking, but the concrete transformed into dry, light brown dirt beneath them. All three pilots released a small yelp as they were thrown from their feet and came to undignified landings on the suddenly earthen floor.

But it wasn't over yet. The bulges in the floor that had thrown them all off balance only continued to grow, soon stretching upwards toward the ceiling. Rei's crimson eyes widened as she realized that the bizarre phenomenon was rapidly forming a partition which would separate the three pilots.

"No," she said, scrambling back to her feet.

The First Child rushed toward Shinji, reaching for him, as though if she could only touch her fellow pilot, that would ensure that everything would be all right. She might have succeeded, too, but their rapidly contorting surroundings seemed to sense what she was trying to do. The floor bucked beneath her feet again, sending her sprawling onto her hands and knees.

Then the area around them completed its transformation, and walls which hadn't been there moments ago suddenly separated the three pilots. Rei could only watch helplessly as the dirt barrier changed into more black stone.

And then all was still and silent around her.

A faint scowl adorning her normally impassive visage, Rei Ayanami got to her feet and brushed some of the dust from her school uniform.

Most people in her position would have wondered just what the hell was happening. Certainly her fellow pilots were mulling just that. However, Rei had a pretty good idea just who was responsible for what had just occurred, and in any case, at the moment, she didn't really _care_ why the tunnels had just transformed. All she was concerned with was getting the group back together, starting with Shinji.

She curled her fingers into a fist, and then punched at the wall that separated her from the Third Child. It shook visibly, and bits of mortar between the large stones fells to the floor in short, dusty trails. However, the stone didn't break. It didn't even crack.

Her scowl deepening, Rei struck the wall again, this time with all her strength behind the blow. The sound of the impact echoed through the stone corridor, and far more mortar fell from the between the bricks, but again, the wall refused to yield in the slightest.

Feeling a pain in her hand, Rei opened her fist and looked at it. Her eyes widened slightly in mute surprise as she realized that her knuckles had split open and were bleeding.

"I'm afraid that brute force won't solve this problem," an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind her.

Rei instantly spun on her heels, the training she'd received on Themscyria taking over and causing her to get into a defensive stance. However, the person behind her clearly had not come to do battle.

The speaker had been a young man with dark hair. He was dressed in a white tunic and was hovering in the air before the First Child, the wings on his sandals fluttering gently. A metal helmet, also adorned with wings, sat on his head, tilted at a jaunty angle.

Rei could feel the now very familiar aura of power crackling around him.

"Lord Hermes," she greeted him with a slight bow.

"You have been studying," the god said.

"Yes," Rei answered. "May I ask if you know what's happening?"

"Oh, you're polite, too," Hermes said with a smirk. "That's so rare in a mortal champion. And to think, Old Salty made you sound as if you were the most impertinent hero ever."

It took Rei a moment to realize that "Old Salty" was probably Poseidon, who was likely still a little irked over her killing his sea monsters during the battle against the Sixth Angel. She made a mental note to try and remain on dry land for the foreseeable future.

"Anyway," Hermes continued, "as you can see, your surroundings have been changed significantly. Your enemy has managed to place the Curse of Daedalus upon the tunnels beneath this city."

"The Curse of Daedalus?" Rei asked.

"Come now, don't tell me you know enough to recognize me by sight but have idea who Daedalus is," Hermes chided.

"He was a famous inventor and the father of Icarus," Rei said.

"Correct," Hermes replied, sounding like a teacher who was pleased by his student's progress. "And what, aside from the famous failure of his son's wings, was Daedalus best known for?"

"The creation of the Labyrinth," Rei answered softly.

Hermes nodded and then spread his heads, gesturing at their surroundings.

"Why have you come here?" Rei asked.

"First of all, Athena asked me to bring you this," Hermes said, holding out a leather bag. "She said you would need it."

Rei took the offered item and opened it, seeing that the bag contained her Wonder Girl costume, along with her golden lasso and Olympian bronze sword.

"Secondly, I'm here to let you know that in order to break the Curse of Daedalus, you must reach the center of the Labyrinth and destroy the keystone there," Hermes said. "You should also know that you should hurry. Here in the Labyrinth be monsters."

As if to punctuate his point, Rei's sharp ears picked up the sound of a low, animal growl from within the great maze.

She was suddenly very aware of how vulnerable her fellow pilots (but mostly Shinji) were.

Which was why she asked her next question. "Is there nothing else you can do to help me?" she asked.

Hermes frowned. "No," he said. "There are rules, and I'm coming dangerously close to breaking them as it is. You're on your own."

Rei suppressed a sigh. "Of course."

Smiling, Hermes gave her a small, informal salute and then flew off, quickly disappearing around a corner.

Her face setting into a determined expression, Rei took her costume out of the bag and began to change. If she wanted her fellow pilots to emerge from this experience unscathed, she was going to have to find the center of the Labyrinth, and fast.

* * *

"Because apparently, Evangelions and Angels just weren't crazy enough," Shinji said to himself as he walked through the much altered tunnels beneath the city.

After becoming separated from Rei and Asuka, Shinji had initially assumed that he was dreaming the events of that day. There was just no other way to explain the bowels of Tokyo-3 suddenly shifting into what looked like the dungeon of some medieval castle or something.

However, he had pinched himself, and it had hurt. As a result, he had reluctantly come to the conclusion that there was a very real chance that he was actually awake and that this was actually happening.

_First giant monsters, then giant mecha, then a superwoman, and now this,_ he mused to himself as he walked through the halls.

Turning a corner, the Third Child realized, with a sinking feeling, that he had lost all sense of where he was relative to where he'd been immediately after everything had changed. He was completely and utterly turned around.

Which really said something about how confusing everything had become, considering that he'd been walking for, at most, five minutes.

And if the whole situation wasn't bad enough, he was still very aware of the Angel that was above them. If he and the other pilots didn't somehow get out of this maze and make their way to headquarters soon, the battle could be lost before it had even begun.

"How could this possibly get any worse?" he wondered aloud.

Then he immediately wanted to kick himself, realized just how much he was tempting fate with _that_ one.

Fate, of course, could not resist the temptation.

Shinji heard a low growl from behind him. The Third Child turned, and his pupils shrank to pinpricks at what he saw.

A small pack of dogs stood behind him, each with fur as black as midnight and red eyes glowing like burning coals. Every last one was an enormous animal, probably weighing as much as he did, or perhaps even more. And unlike him, most of the dogs' body mass was pure muscle.

Thick ropes of drool, which looked white because of the bubbles trapped within them, dripped from the jaws of the beasts. Shinji had no doubt that they were very hungry. And even if they'd been full, he thought they would have torn him apart just for sport.

So, Shinji Ikari did one of the things Shinji Ikari did best, and for once, there was not a soul alive who could blame him for it.

He turned on his heel and he ran the hell away, screaming as he went.

* * *

"Oh, that doesn't sound good," Asuka said, easily able to hear the terrified screams of the Third Child, even through the thick stone walls that separated her from her fellow pilots.

She wanted to find out what the baka had gotten himself into _this_ time, but the fact of the matter was, she was lost. Despite her newly developed…special talents, she had suddenly found herself unable to navigate through the halls. Indeed, the whole place suddenly seemed exceedingly _opaque _to her eyes.

"This is probably the most bizarre pain in the ass that I've ever had to endure," she commented to no one in particular as she went through the halls, searching for any sign of her fellow pilots or the exit to this maze.

She turned a corner, and what she found instead brought her up short.

Standing before her was what had once been a creature that was half-man and half-bull. It could no longer be described as such however, because while it was still partially humanoid and partially bovine both, it was completely undead.

The huge beast's flesh was entirely gray, having nothing that even resembled the glow of life to it, and in some places, it had fallen away completely to reveal white bone and dark red organs beneath. The creature's head was in particularly bad shape; a few ragged patches of fur clung to the bull head, but for the most part, its skull was naked.

The creature's barrel chest expanded and then it exhaled loudly, twin trails of steam pouring from its bony nostrils. It was then that Asuka noticed that it was so tall that the tips of its long, wicked looking horns nearly scraped against the ceiling.

The Second Child snorted derisively, and then shook her head, causing her red mane to go flying about like a matador's cape.

"Toro! Toro!" she shouted to it, gesturing for it to come and do its worst.

* * *

Wonder Girl flew through the Labyrinth as quickly as she dared to go. This was still a dangerously fast pace for such an enclosed area, especially considering that she knew she wouldn't just smash harmlessly through the walls if she were to accidentally collide with one of them. However, she was willing to go no more slowly, not when her comrades were in danger with every moment that elapsed.

Not when Shinji's distant scream of fright still echoed in her ears.

It was probably her excessive haste which caused her to be so easily ambushed.

It happened so quickly that she was barely aware of just what _it_ was at first. One minute she was flying, and the next, she had collided with the dirt floor, with several sharp objects digging painfully into her upper back, which her leotard left exposed. A cry of pain and surprise forced its way past her lips, and she immediately rolled over, trying to get whatever had pounced on her off.

However, the Cheetah wasn't so easily thrown. While the feline female's wicked claws left the Amazon's back when Wonder Girl turned herself over, Barbara Ann Minerva immediately began slashing at her foe's face and neck. The blue haired superwoman was just barely able to grab her foe's wrists to prevent the painful and potentially lethal slashes from landing.

"What are you doing here?" Wonder Girl asked through clenched teeth.

"Right now? Killing you," Cheetah hissed.

The Amazon didn't bother to make a response to this snide and unhelpful reply. Instead, she brought her knees up, striking Cheetah in the stomach, hard. The feline female released a loud gasp as the air was forced from her lungs by the blow, and her assault relented momentarily.

Which was all that Wonder Girl needed. Her small fist crashed into the Cheetah's jaw, and the archeologist released a very feline yowl of pain and indignation as she thrown clean off her enemy. Finally freed, Wonder Girl quickly scrambled to her feet, just in time to see Cheetah land on hers.

_Hmm, I suppose what they say about cats is indeed true,_ Wonder Girl mused, and for one brief, insane moment, she actually felt like laughing.

She found that she sometimes felt the strangest emotions in the midst of battle.

With an angry hiss, Cheetah threw herself forward. The Amazon readied herself for the attack, but it didn't come. Instead, Cheetah landed on the ground before closing the distance between herself and her foe. Before Wonder Girl could react, the feline leapt to the side, soon making contact with one of the walls. Then, displaying the sort of agility that seemed more suited to a monkey than a cat, she launched herself off the wall, flying at Wonder Girl from an angle that the Amazon had not expected.

Yet just because the feline femme fatale had managed to get past some of her defenses, didn't mean that Wonder Girl was beaten. This time expecting the fur covered missile, she planted her feet firmly on the ground, and the Cheetah was unable to knock her down again.

Her failure to send the Amazon falling caused the Cheetah to pause for a moment, but it was a very brief moment. Latching onto her enemy with her legs to keep herself from just falling off, the feline released menacing hiss, baring her fangs. The Amazon realized with alarm that the Cheetah intended to literally rip her throat out with her needle-like teeth. Wonder Girl quickly raised her arm, and the Cheetah's jaw clamped down on one of her bracers instead. The Amazon could see the archeologist grimace in pain as her teeth impacted the indestructible metal. However, the feline fatale was still clinging to her, and she had her claws.

Wonder Girl's solution to the predicament she'd suddenly found herself in was inelegant but very effective. She took several very quick, powerful strides forward, right toward the wall the Cheetah had used as a spring board a moment ago. The feline let out a gasp of pain as she suddenly found herself crashing into the hard stone, and her grip on the Amazon loosened.

Seizing her moment of opportunity, Wonder Girl reached out and roughly grabbed a handful of her foe's fur, and then she hurled the Cheetah away from herself. The feline released another of those loud yowls as she flew through the air.

The Amazon silently admitted to herself that she could come to enjoy that sound.

The Cheetah landed in an undignified heap some distance away, and Wonder Girl immediately readied herself for another charge from the feline. However, though the Cheetah immediately got up and threw herself back into motion, she did not fling herself at the Amazon.

Instead, she rushed toward the nearest burning torch with hung on the wall. The metal bracket which held it was high above her head, but the Cheetah easily leapt upwards, burying the claws on her hands and feet into the stone of the walls, positioning herself right next to the torch. With a grunt of effort, she flung it to the dirt floor with enough force to shatter the top. Thus broken into pieces, the flaming bits of the torch quickly burned out.

Suddenly, it was noticeably darker within the tunnel.

The Cheetah quickly made her way to the next torch and extinguished that one as well. Then she moved to the next one. And the next.

Wonder Girl realized what her enemy was doing with alarm. Her hands quickly went to the lasso she had hanging at her hip, knowing before her mind did that she had to act while there was still some light left to fight by. With practiced ease, she twirled the golden rope in the air for a second before she let it fly toward the Cheetah, who was about to destroy the last of the torches in the area.

Her aim was true, but the feline's reflexes were too good. The Cheetah saw the loop of rope approaching her, and she leapt away from the metal bracket, the torch held in her fist. The lasso captured nothing but air.

The Cheetah smiled wickedly. "Say goodnight," she said, then flung the last torch to the ground, breaking it as soundly as she had all the others.

Almost instantly, the hallway was plunged into almost complete darkness. For a moment after the torch had gone out, Wonder Girl could see her foe's eyes in darkness, glowing like those of a true cat.

Then the Cheetah blinked, and the darkness became total.

Seconds later, the Amazon hissed in pain as he enemy's claws raked across her normally impervious flesh, leaving deep scratches and drawing blood. Wonder Girl struck, but the Cheetah had moved on. Her fist collided with only empty air.

A second later her enemy's claws sliced at her back, then at her arm, then at her shoulder. The Amazon gritted her teeth against the sharp pain, feeling tears of agony forming at the corners of her eyes. She quickly moved, pressing her back against the cool stone of the tunnel wall to limit her enemy's avenues of attack. However, the Cheetah's assault barely abated, and all of Wonder Girl's attempts to counter continued to fail.

_Why is she not killing me?_ The Amazon wondered, grunting in pain as the Cheetah left another series of scratches across her pale skin. _She could easily slice my throat right now._

The answer seemed obvious almost immediately after she had bothered to contemplate the question: the Cheetah was toying her.

The Amazon was surprised at how angry that made her. She swung her fist again, this time with particular violence, but again she failed to make contact with her enemy.

Clearly, she would have to do more than just try harder to win this fight.

_Think,_ she commanded herself, ignoring the pain from the Cheetah's attacks with considerable force of will. _What did Artemis always say about night fighting?_

The words came back to her instantly: "Sight is an important sense, but it is not the only sense. Just the only one that becomes less useful after the sun sets. Never forget that you have other ways to perceive the world around you."

Wonder Girl nodded slightly in agreement with the memory of her instructor's lesson and slid her eyes closed. This did nothing for all practical purposes; the hallway was so dark that it made no real difference to her ability to see. However, the Amazon found that it made it easier for her to focus on what her other senses were telling her.

Suddenly, what she had barely noticed in her alarm became so obvious that Wonder Girl almost felt like smacking herself for missing it earlier. The sounds of the Cheetah's footsteps in the dirt beneath them became as readily apparent as an air raid siren, and the Amazon found that she could also smell her enemy's scent, a mixture of body odor and a decidedly animal aroma.

The Cheetah pounced again. This time when Wonder Girl's fist lashed out, it was headed for where the feline was going to be rather than where she'd been a moment ago. The anthropomorphic archeologist released an angry, surprised shriek as the blow caused her to go crashing painfully to the floor.

"Lucky hit," Cheetah growled.

_That is what you think,_ Wonder Girl retorted silently as she heard her foe getting back up.

The Cheetah threw herself at the Amazon once more, but this time Wonder Girl didn't lash out with her fists.

Instead, she held up a length of her golden lasso, using both hands to pull it taut and keeping it horizontal.

"Gah!" the Cheetah exclaimed as she basically clothes-lined herself against the enchanted rope.

Wonder Girl didn't waste a second capitalizing on her latest small victory. Before the Cheetah could react, the Amazon looped the unbreakable rope around her form and had tied a knot, pinning the feline's arms against her sides. The Cheetah released a growl and struggled fiercely, attempting to kick at Wonder Girl, but she was caught. The Amazon, not in the mood to endure her foe's resistance, simply grabbed hold of the Cheetah and lifted her over her head, causing the feline's legs to kick uselessly in the air as Wonder Girl carried her off.

After a minute or two, the Amazon reached a part of the Labyrinth where there were still torches burning. Once more able to see, she put the Cheetah down and looked into the woman's inhuman eyes with their slit-like pupils.

"I ask you again," Wonder Girl said in a voice that was somehow menacing for how soft it was, "what are you doing here? How did you even get here?"

"After you left me to die, a… mutual acquaintance of ours rescued me," Cheetah sneered.

"The Dark Centurion?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Who else?" Cheetah replied.

The Amazon silently cursed Apollo for what felt like the thousandth time. If only he hadn't transported her back to Japan before she could free the Cheetah herself, then this situation would probably be far less troublesome, at the least.

"Why did he send you here?" Wonder Girl asked. "To kill me?"

Cheetah smirked. "Self-centered little thing, aren't you?" she asked. "No, I thought that finding you here was just the icing on the cake. He wants me to kill the three teenagers who came in her earlier pilots."

The Amazon's eyes widened slightly, which was still a major show of emotion for the blue haired young woman. "You failed."

The feline femme's smirk only widened. "Do you really think I'm the only nasty thing in here?" she asked.

Wonder Girl remembered how she'd heard Shinji cry out earlier, and her blood suddenly ran cold.

"That's right," Cheetah taunted, seeing the dismay on her enemy's face. "Something's going to kill them, even if it's not me. And there's not a damned thing you can do about it. All your powers won't help you here. You don't know how to navigate this maze."

Wonder Girl's eyes narrowed. "But you do," she said.

"Of course I do," Cheetah said smugly. "I haven't studied the works of the ancients for my whole life just to get turned around by a maze that was made over a thousand years ago."

"Then you are going to lead me to the center of the Labyrinth," Wonder Girl said, recalling what Hermes had told her about what needed to be done to break the curse.

The Cheetah just laughed derisively in Wonder Girl's face.

Grabbing hold of the ropes that bound her enemy, the Amazon pulled the feline toward her, then slammed her against the wall hard. If the enchanted stone hadn't been supernaturally resilient, it would have partially crumbled from the impact. Cheetah released a grunt of pain.

"You are going to lead me to the center of the Labyrinth," Wonder Girl said again.

This time the Cheetah literally spat in the Amazon's face, the warm saliva hitting Wonder Girl right on the cheek. The blue haired girl just glared stonily at the Cheetah, not wiping the spittle off as it slowly slid down her face.

Shinji was going to die if she didn't somehow get her enemy to cooperate. Somehow, this knowledge caused something other than her rational, thinking mind to take over her, or so it felt at the time.

The ring of bronze suddenly went echoing through the hallway as Wonder Girl drew her sword. She pressed the very tip of the weapon against the soft, vulnerable flesh of the Cheetah's throat.

"You are going to lead me to the center of the Labyrinth," Wonder Girl said for a third time, her voice barely above a whisper.

To punctuate her point, she pressed her weapon against Cheetah's throat just a tiny bit harder. A drop of ruby liquid formed by the very tip of the bronze blade.

"All right! All right!" Cheetah finally gave in. "I'll take you where you want to go!"

"Good," Wonder Girl said, sheathing her blade. "Lead on, and do not dare try to trick me."

* * *

Shinji Ikari was not having a good day. At all. It wasn't the worst day he'd ever endured, considering that he'd lived through some truly epic bad days in his short life, but it still had the potential to get there.

Of course, that would require him getting torn to shreds by a pack of hellhounds, after which, rating the worst days he'd ever had would seem like a much less important subject than it currently did, since he would dead.

The Third Child didn't think that he could run for much longer. It felt like he had been fleeing the ravenous beasts for hours already, and he was practically on the verge of collapse. His legs felt like they were turning into jelly, and his lungs burned with exertion. If he'd been running for _any_ reason other than his own survival, he probably would have dropped to the floor a long time ago.

He dared to look back for a moment and then wished he hadn't. The dogs, seemingly tireless creatures, were right behind him, some of them literally nipping at his heels.

Somehow, he managed to find some last, tiny reserve of energy he didn't know he had and put on a burst of speed, increasing the distance between himself and the preternatural canines pursing him. He didn't know what would happen when they started gaining again, though; somehow he just knew he couldn't do that again, even with his very life at stake.

Then he turned a corner and found himself facing a dead end, making the question academic.

"Shit," he cursed vehemently, part of him unable to believe that he was going to die after all that.

If he'd known it was hopeless to begin with, he could have just given up at the start and spared himself that grueling run.

Then something stirred within him, something that hadn't been there months ago. Something that repudiated the defeatist notion that had just passed through his mind.

He couldn't die. He couldn't die, and not because he was supposedly vital to the future of mankind; he had _never_ been able to really wrap his head around that enormous concept.

No, it was the thought of a certain blue haired girl that caused a sudden need to survive to flare up within him, and the knowledge, if only subconscious, that she didn't have much besides him.

All this passed through his mind the span of a second, his thought processes apparently supercharged by his fear and the sheer amount of adrenaline surging through his bloodstream.

Immediately after deciding that he had to try and live through this experience, no matter how futile _that_ might seem, Shinji noticed something. He wasn't quite alone in the maze's dead end.

Sitting against the wall were the remains of someone who also endured a really, really bad day a very long time ago. The dry, dusty skeleton was dressed in bronze armor, its skeletal hands still clutching a sword and round shield. A helmet sat on the skull, the horsehair having long since fallen out of the brush that adorned the top of it, giving the whole thing a very miserable appearance.

Shinji didn't even consider taking the shield. The damn thing looked almost as large he was, and he knew that it was far too heavy for him to use effectively.

Instead he picked up the short sword, grimacing in abject disgust as he quickly pried the weapon from the fallen warrior's bony hand. The blade weighed far more than he'd expected, but he could pick it up and wield it well enough if he used both hands.

_And here I always thought that kendo was a useless skill,_ he thought ruefully as he turned to face the way he'd come, just as the hellhounds appeared from around the corner.

* * *

"Well, this is it," Cheetah grumbled as she and Wonder Girl arrived at the room which was at the very center of the Labyrinth.

This turned out not to be some empty chamber or giant deathtrap, as the Amazon had half expected, but the workshop of Daedalus himself. Diagrams of various inventions that reminded her of plans created by Leonardo da Vinci she had seen in school had been scratched out onto stone slabs, and primitive tools were spread out over an ancient workbench. A pair of wings made from bird feathers and wax sat in a corner, apparently a prototype of the ones that Daedalus and Icarus had used in their attempt to fly across the sea.

Though not normally a very curious individual, Gendo having informed her all her life that most things not related to NERV business were irrelevant, Wonder Girl would have felt tempted to look around this place under other circumstances.

However, with Shinji (and Asuka), possibly in mortal danger, all that mattered to her was breaking the Curse of Daedalus.

"Where is the keystone?" she demanded.

The Cheetah started slightly at being spoken to, and the Amazon realized that the archeologist had been staring at their surroundings in quiet awe. However, the feline soon recovered her composure. "How should I know?" she huffed.

The Amazon glared dangerously at her.

"It has a Greek letter delta engraved in it," Cheetah said. "That looks like a triangle." She added in a condescending tone.

"I know what a delta looks like," Wonder Girl said, then immediately began to search for the right brick.

She failed to spot it after a brief scan of the room, so the Amazon quickly began to move the few objects present around. She practically threw Daedalus' workbench aside.

"Be careful!" Cheetah hissed. "Everything here is thousands of years old."

"Be quiet," Wonder Girl commanded flatly as she continued her search.

She eventually found what she was looking for behind the prototype wings, which disintegrated the moment she touched them. The all important keystone to the Labyrinth looked exactly like all the others in the confusing structure, save for the symbol scratched into it. It was almost hard to believe that it was the lynchpin of a curse that had so utterly transformed the bowels of Tokyo-3.

But Wonder Girl wasted no time on disbelief. Recalling how she'd been unable to break the stone with her fists, she drew her Olympian bronze sword and stabbed at the keystone.

Beams of intense light instantly began to stream out of the wound she had made in the stone, as though there was a star on the other side of the wall. But Wonder Girl didn't care about that.

What she did care about was the agony that striking at the heart of Labyrinth caused her. Apparently, the curse wasn't going to be broken without a fight, because shooting pain rocketed up her arms and to the rest of her body, as though she had stabbed a bolt of lighting rather than a piece of stone. Caught by surprise, the champion of the gods released her grip on her weapon.

_An Amazon does what must be done. She does not fear pain,_ the voice of Hippolyta rang through her mind.

Gritting her teeth, Wonder Girl grabbed hold of her weapon once more. The pain that coursed through her seemed even worse this time, but she did not let go of her sword, and instead began to wiggle it back and forth and then attempting to turn it, trying to expand the gouge she had made in the keystone.

_You have endured worse than this,_ she told herself. _Remember the pain on the day the Third Angel attacked._

This was something she could do with unpleasant clarity. The agony she had experienced when her grievously injured body had gone falling to the floor after one of the Angel's attacks had shaken the base enough to knock over the gurney she'd been was the sharpest she'd ever endured.

Shinji had saved her from having to experience more pain that day, and in so doing had endured a great deal of it in her place. Now he was in trouble. She could withstand this pain. She could.

Still, she was not very surprised upon realizing that the scream she was hearing was coming from her own mouth.

Then the keystone at last gave out, breaking into pieces which fell to the floor and then crumbled into dust. The practically blinding light that had been pouring out of it winked out.

And the Labyrinth began to revert to the access tunnels beneath the city, the change sweeping across the walls, floor, and ceilings in the exactly same manner it had the first time. Mere seconds after the Amazon had completed her task, she and the Cheetah were standing in a simple maintenance room that contained nothing more ancient or mystical than a couple of dusty fuse boxes.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Wonder Girl sheathed her sword and turned to the Cheetah.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the feline femme had managed to wiggle almost completely free of the golden lasso in the time the Amazon had been distracted.

Realizing that her foe saw her, the Cheetah attempted to take off running from the room, but Wonder Girl's arm shot out and grabbed hold of her lasso, unwilling to lose it to the less than ethical archeologist a second time. She tried to grab hold of the Cheetah as well, but with one more effort, the feline had freed herself from the golden rope entirely. Now unrestrained, she bolted from the room. Wonder Girl followed her out just in time to see her enemy's furry tail vanishing around a corner.

The blue haired superwoman briefly considered giving chase. Now that the Labyrinth had changed back into the familiar series of tunnels, the advantage would be hers.

However, she wasn't certain that every other monstrosity the Dark Centurion had unleashed would disappear along with the ancient maze; they could still be trying to kill her fellow pilots. And in any case, there was still an Angel to worry about.

Releasing a small, annoyed sigh, the Amazon went out in search of her fellow pilots.

* * *

"Back! Stay back!" Shinji yelled, swinging the sword he held in a graceless but still potentially deadly arc.

The hellhounds watched him warily, obviously aware of the danger the situation presented to him.

Then one of them pounced, strings of drool trailing from its opened jaws as it moved to rip out the Third Child's throat.

Releasing a small yelp, Shinji swung his borrowed sword again in a downwards slash. The edge of the blade, somehow still sharp after so many centuries, came crashing down right on the hellhound's skull.

The beast died instantly, but not in the spray of blood that the Third Child might have expected. Instead, its form just sort of seemed to collapse, turning in a great, writhing shadow that quickly disappeared from view.

All things considered, Shinji was grateful for that. He'd never much liked the sight of blood and gore.

He looked at the remaining hellhounds.

"Anybody else want some?" he asked, hoping to intimidate the animals into retreating.

However, his voice wavered as he spoke, and since he was pretty sure that the giant, unearthly dogs were more likely to respond to tone than the actual words he used, Shinji wasn't entirely surprised when they opted to continue the standoff.

Then a now familiar sound met his ears. It was that same shifting sound that had accompanied the transformation of the access tunnels into the weird place he now found himself.

He risked a glance away from the animals that very much wanted to eat him, looking at his surroundings. The place was changing back into what it was supposed to be.

Shinji initially thought that this was a good thing, but then the change swept over the area where he himself stood. The floor beneath his feet didn't convulse violently this time, fortunately, but the long dead warrior he'd taken the sword from quickly faded, becoming transparent, and then vanished entirely.

This really wouldn't have been a problem, except that the sword he was holding disappeared in the exactly same manner, leaving him empty handed.

And the hellhounds remained.

"Just when I thought I might survive this experience," Shinji said, slowly retreating until his back was pressed up against the wall.

Then one of the giant canines leapt forward, its muscular, ebony furred body embodying the promise of death at least as well as any of the Angels ever had. Shinji squeezed his eyes shut.

Only to open them again when a high pitched sound of canine agony reached his ears. His jaw dropped as he saw a familiar blue haired Amazon flying in the air before him, using a bronze sword to slash as the pack of hellhounds with great ferocity. The beasts had no chance against her fast and furious assault, and in moments, the entire pack of demonic dogs had been slain, all of them vanishing in wisps of shadow.

She turned to him, and her crimson gaze swept over him, searching for any signs of injury. Shinji knew he should give her some word of thanks, at the very least, but he was thoroughly struck dumb by her sudden appearance.

Fortunately, Wonder Girl didn't seem perturbed by his rude silence. She gave him a smile that caused his heartbeat to increase in tempo, then flew off, quickly vanishing around a corner.

Once she was gone, Shinji leaned heavily against a nearby wall, chuckling weakly. He didn't think there was _any_ way this day could get any stranger.

* * *

The Second Child, Wonder Girl discovered not long after rescuing Shinji, had no need to being saved. The redhead was making her way through the halls, not being harassed by anything at all. She was actually whistling to herself, absently tossing what looked like a large, curved animal horn into the air a short distance before catching it again as she walked.

Satisfied that her fellow pilots were all right, the Amazon found a secluded spot and quickly exchanged her costume for her school uniform, stuffing her superwoman things into her school bag.

The pilots managed to reunite not long after that, and resumed their course to NERV headquarters, pointedly not discussing what had just happened amongst themselves. Shinji and Rei also refrained from asking Asuka where her little souvenir had come from.

They made it to the base with no further bizarre occurrences, and once they were inside the actual building, the Second Child bullied a team of technicians into prying open all the electronically controlled doors which separated them from the Evangelion cages.

"Ah, there you are," Ritsuko said. "Finally. We need all of you to change into your plug suits and get to your EVA units at once."

"Dr. Akagi, do you know what happened to the access tunnels?" Shinji blurted out abruptly, apparently unable to hold his peace regarding what had happened any longer.

The bottle blonde frowned. "No, what?"

Shinji opened his mouth to reply, then seemed to realize just how insane what he had to say would sound. Wanting to know if his fellow pilots would back him up, he turned back to look at them.

They both gave him blank looks that said nothing and everything at once.

"One of them was caved in," he answered lamely. "We probably would have gotten here faster, otherwise."

Akagi all but rolled her eyes. "We'll have them fixed. Now go and get into your plug suits. There's an Angel to fight."

After the adventure of just getting to the base, battling the Ninth Angel and its acidic emissions almost felt boring.

* * *

That evening, the three EVA pilots found themselves laying on a grassy hill that overlooked the still dark city. It had been completely impossible for them to return their Evangelions to the cages with the power outage rendering the lifts useless, and in any event, they probably hadn't had enough battery power to get the war machines to the lift platforms.

So the Evangelions stood motionlessly at the edge of Tokyo-3, looking like a trio of modern Colossuses.

"What in the world happened down there?" Shinji asked into the quiet darkness as he looked up at the stars.

"I don't know," Asuka replied. "Something so damn bizarre that if we ever tell anyone, they'll think we're insane. Even if all our stories match."

"What are you saying? That we should go along like none of it ever happened?" Shinji asked.

"You have a better idea, Third Child?" Asuka replied.

"…no, I guess not," Shinji admitted reluctantly.

"I'll bet Wonder Girl had something to do with the whole thing," Asuka commented, stretching out languidly on the soft grass.

Rei frowned.

"I don't think so," Shinji said.

"Why not?" Asuka said. "You said you saw her in there, right?"

"Well, yeah, but she helped me," Shinji argued. "I don't think she means any harm, and I don't see why she'd do such a thing."

Asuka muttered something under her breath in German. Rei, who knew the language passably well, caught the word "naïve" in the redhead's grumblings.

"It would appear that someone or something might be targeting the Evangelion pilots," Rei spoke up.

"In other words, us," Asuka chimed in.

"Yes," Rei agreed. "It might be prudent for us to exercise caution."

Asuka sniffed. "Against what? The building we're in changing into something else around us?"

"It is never unwise to be careful," Rei countered.

The redhead just released a soft "hmph" in response.

"Do you really think someone's trying to kill us, Rei?" Shinji asked.

"It is a possibility," she replied.

It was at this point that power was finally restored to Tokyo-3, a thousand points of light dotting the previously dark structures that composed the city.

"Ah, much better," Asuka said, sitting up. "I don't know about you, but I just want to go home after this crazy day."

Nodding in agreement, the other two pilots followed the redhead away.

* * *

Despite Asuka's eagerness to be home, it was some time before the pilots were finally freed from NERV. The organization had no desire to leave their technically secret war machines standing out in the open where just anyone could see them any longer than necessary, so the Children had had to remain to pilot the EVA's back to their cages. Of course, the Evangelions couldn't move without power, so they'd had to wait until umbilical cables could be brought out and hooked up to the Evangelions. Asuka had complained bitterly about the long wait the entire time.

Finally, however, in the late evening, Rei found herself returning to her run down little apartment.

The multiple painful scratches that the Cheetah had managed to inflict on her had all healed completely long ago, and her superhuman body was not suffering any fatigue, yet she still felt weary.

"Athena," she spoke softly. "Please, if you are not busy…"

The door to her apartment opened before Rei could even complete her request, and the goddess of wisdom strode in, wearing her usual battle armor.

"You wished to see me, my champion?" she asked.

"Yes," Rei said. "Are you aware of what occurred today?"

"Indeed," Athena said darkly. "I must hand it to the mastermind of that plan. It was truly cunning. If not for a few crucial mistakes, it might have succeeded."

Rei nodded in agreement, but that wasn't what really concerned her. "I feel…afraid of myself," she said.

"Why?" Athena asked with a frown.

"When I was down there, when I needed the Cheetah to show me the way to the center of the Labyrinth," Rei said, "I was truly ready to kill her if she did not cooperate with me. Even though I had beaten her and she was at my mercy, I would have killed her. I do bot know what came over me."

Athena placed a comforting hand on Rei's shoulder, and when she spoke again, her voice was warmer than usual. "You were afraid for the Ikari boy, weren't you?" she asked.

"Yes," Rei confessed, a very faint pink blush appearing on her cheeks.

Somehow discussing such matters with Athena, rather than Aphrodite, was very embarrassing.

"You have never had anything you truly feared losing before," Athena said. "It can do things to a person when what they truly care about is threatened. Yes, it can compel one to perform acts of savagery, but at the same time, it can also spur you to perform feats you would otherwise be incapable of. The key is to control and harness such emotions. You must control them, rather than letting them control you."

"I do not know if I can," Rei said.

"You can," Athena said. "You have been denied the chance to feel many emotions in your life, so you are inexperienced at dealing with them. But you are as capable of it as anyone. Far more than some."

Rei nodded silently.

"Now, if that is all, I'm afraid I have other matters which require my attention," Athena said.

"Of course," Rei agreed.

The goddess headed for the door, but she paused just before leaving and turned back to Rei.

"Do not fear yourself, my champion," she said. "Know that I have faith in you."

"Arigato," Rei replied.

Athena smiled very slightly, and then she stepped out the door and was gone.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** There's…admittedly not a whole lot of relevance happening in this chapter. I just liked the idea of the bowels of NERV changing into the Labyrinth as the pilots attempt to navigate them. Incidentally, I'd credit Shinji's freaking out by the pool more to plain old embarrassment than any actual fear of commitment, but I liked Rei's and Aphrodite's exchange too much to cut that bit out.

Those who recognize the chapter title will hopefully forgive me for it. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.

Now for some fun!

* * *

Omakes

"Bonding" by the Pool

Overall, Rei was of the opinion that Misato Katsuragi was a competent officer, and one who did her best to treat the pilots fairly. However, she felt that the Ops Director's suggestion that Asuka join in the swimming practice sessions she and Shinji held—for the sake of "team building"—was the worst idea Misato had had since she had asked Asuka to move in with her and Shinji.

"C'mon, baka!" Asuka shouted. "Move faster! Your momentum will help you along!"

Shinji tried to reply, but as he was in the middle of attempting to swim, all he got out was a loud gurgling sound. The Third Child immediately began to panic when he realized that he had water in his mouth, and, as always happened when he freaked out, he promptly started to flounder.

Asuka sighed. "Your turn."

Rei quickly swam to the deep end of the pool and pulled the Third Child to safety. Asuka allowed him to sputter and cough for several moments before ordering him back to the deep end.

With Shinji once again putting his full concentration into swimming, the two girls immediately turned to one another to settle an important matter.

Namely, who got to rescue Shinji the next time he started drowning.

"Ready?" Asuka said.

Rei nodded wordlessly.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" they both exclaimed.

They both threw scissors.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

They both threw rock.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

They both threw paper.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

It should have been a simple enough a way to determine whose turn it was next. The problem, however, was that both of them were using their…above average speed and perceptions to try and cheat. The result of which was that they would draw for approximately twenty rounds before one of them slipped and there was winner.

Unfortunately, Shinji couldn't wait that long this time.

"H-Help!" he called, starting to flounder again.

"Shut up, baka! We're busy!" Asuka snapped, then turned back to Rei.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

* * *

Olay!

_Pamplona, Spain_

The age old coliseum was packed to beyond capacity, with thousands and thousands of screaming fans all but overflowing the balconies. It was a near perfect echo of the gladiatorial spectacles that had been held in ancient Rome, which wasn't all that inappropriate, considering what was about to occur.

Suddenly, one of the doors at the bottom opened, allowing the crowd's champion to emerge.

Asuka Langley Soryu strode out, dressed in full matador regalia, with a crimson cape draped over her shoulder.

The already noisy spectators _erupted_ at the sight of her, and several of the people who were closer to her threw roses at her. The redhead actually managed to catch the stem of one of them between her teeth.

A hush fell over the crowd as Asuka reached the center of the coliseum. Everyone knew what was to come next, and their eyes all went to the _other_ door that led onto the field. The huge, heavy one.

Displaying not a trace of fear, the matador gestured grandly for this door to be opened. Several, unobtrusive young men moved toward it warily, knowing it was their job to open it, yet obviously afraid.

They were spared when one mighty strike from the beast behind the door sent it flying off its hinges. The door went careening into the air, spinning wildly as it went sailing into the blue sky. It would land somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean several hours later.

The crowd let out a collective gasp at the demonstration of the beast's might. Asuka merely grinned and waved her cape around, taunting her opponent to emerge.

And emerge that opponent did. The crowd grew even quieter as the She-Hulk stepped out of the shadows, tattered bits of black garments (barely) concealing her modesty, and a pair of fake bull horns situated atop her head.

For a moment, all was completely silent. No one in the crowd spoke. No one even breathed. The coliseum was packed, but you could hear a pin drop.

Then She-Hulk's already massive chest expanded as she inhaled deeply, taxing her minimal top almost to the breaking point, and a jet of air departed her nostrils, her breath hot enough to steam even in the warm day.

"You're going to pay for this, Asuka," She-Hulk vowed. "Oh yes you will."

Heedless of the consequences that would doubtlessly be coming (eventually from orionpax09, even if Mike313, lazy bum that he is, never gets around to writing it himself), Asuka adjusted the black cap she was wearing slightly, her grin widening. The matador waved her red cape around.

"Toro!" she yelled.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Eight:** The Machinations of Hades

"Congratulations on your promotion, Misato!"

The cheerful chorus sounded through the Katsuragi apartment, having been prompted by a toast proposed by a very enthusiastic Kensuke Aida.

Rei, not quite as well acquainted with etiquette and social niceties as anyone else at the table, was a half second late joining in. As a result, she was oddly out of sync with the others, the soft tone she used to express the words of congratulations making her sound even stranger.

The Second Child quickly glanced at her, smirking, before turning away, and Rei's cheeks turned a pale pink.

She would have turned down the invitation to this party, but Aphrodite had appeared to her shortly before it had been issued to her. The love goddess had simply said, "_Shinji's about to invite you to something. It would be a good idea to say yes._"

So far, Rei was feeling so out of place at the social gathering that she had already decided to think of the whole experience as a reminder of why she shouldn't blindly follow the orders of the gods. Even the ones she trusted.

The party had already been in full swing by the time she had arrived. A loud argument had broken out with the class representative and the Second Child on one side, and Suzuhara and Aida on the other. Special Inspector Kaji was joking about something with Dr. Akagi. Judging by the red flush on both their faces, the two had already partaken of Misato's alcohol. Liberally.

Even Shinji, who was the whole reason Rei had decided to go, was occupied. He was currently engaged in a quiet conversation with the newly promoted Major Katsuragi. The Operations Director looked surprisingly sober (in both meanings of the word), considering that she was at a party, one being thrown in her honor no less.

Resisting the urge to sigh, the First Child turned her attention to her drink, which was just water. Like every beverage present that wasn't a can of beer, it had a red cocktail straw in it for some reason. Rei used it to stir the ice cubes around her cup, idly wondering why she had believed she might enjoy herself here.

The blue-haired girl was not unfamiliar with parties. The Commander hated them, but even _he_ hadn't always managed to dodge every invitation sent his way. She should know; when he'd found himself with no means of escaping, he had often taken her with him. Additionally, Rei had had to attend the occasional school function, which could _technically_ be considered parties.

At least so far as Rei was concerned, parties were unpleasant, noisy affairs that she had to endure quietly until everyone left. She really _should_ have been smarter than to come to this one.

Yet…some part of her had longed to participate in the revelry which she had only ever observed in the past. She now realized that this was simply not to be.

Rei wasn't quite sure if she should be disappointed about that, or if it had just been a foolish wish she probably would have regretted ever making if she'd gotten it. She still did not see the appeal of such gatherings.

"Hey, First!" Asuka suddenly exclaimed, having somehow extricated herself from her argument with their two male classmates. "Why so gloomy? This is a party! Here, have a drink. Live a little!"

The redhead held out a large can of Boa brand beer, and Rei was quite certain that she saw a glitter of malice in the Second Child's blue eyes. Clearly, Asuka wished for her to become inebriated.

Aware that she possessed a much heartier constitution than the average human, and feeling just a twinge of spite in response, the First Child took the offered can, ignoring the alarmed looks from everyone paying attention to the scene. Before anyone could say anything, she popped the top and drank the contents of the can in one long gulp.

While some of the people in the apartment hadn't noticed what Rei was doing and thus continued with whatever they were doing, the people who _had_ seen were completely silent as they watched the First Child. The class representative appeared ready to leap to Rei's aid at any moment, as though she expected the First Child to pass out after drinking one beer. Shinji looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon.

Aida readied his camera.

Rei grimaced once she was done. "I do not care for the taste," she observed mildly, handing the can back to Asuka.

The release of tension in the room was…noticeable.

Grumbling beneath her breath at the anticlimactic result of her little prank, the Second Child walked off to pester Kaji.

Rei was aware that she had several pairs of eyes watching her still, all waiting for her to display symptoms of drunkenness. She ignored them all and turned her attention to the table, examining the food there. It was all takeout, which strongly suggested that Shinji had not been the one in charge of preparing the food for the party.

She didn't mind takeout food, but there was not a single vegetarian dish on the table. The First Child held back a sigh, resigning herself to enduring both the party and hunger.

"Would you like something to eat, Rei?" Shinji asked.

She started slightly, not having realized that the Third Child was no longer speaking with Misato. Her ruby gaze flicked over to the Operations Director to see that she was trying to fend off the attentions of Kaji, who in turn was trying to fend off the attentions of Asuka.

_Artemis would have my head for being so unaware of my surroundings,_ Rei thought before turning her full attention to Shinji.

"I do not eat meat," she said.

"Oh, I know," he replied. "You told me about that, so when I found out that Toji and Kensuke were just ordering a bunch of takeout food, I made some stuff for you."

She blinked as he set a small bowl of miso soup and half a dozen veggie rolls on the table in front of her.

"It's not very fancy," he added apologetically.

Picking up her chopsticks, Rei grabbed one of the veggie rolls and popped it into her mouth. She chewed a few times, and her eyes widened. "Delicious," she said, sounding almost shocked.

Shinji smiled.

Rei continued to eat until everything the Third Child prepared for her was gone, and he sat down next to her and waited quietly. However, before she was quite through, she realized he was repeatedly sneaking quick looks at her, a pensive expression on his face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh!" Shinji exclaimed, clearly embarrassed at being caught. "No, everything's fine. I was just a little worried. I saw you drink that beer Asuka gave you."

Rei felt a twinge of annoyance at herself. Gulping down the alcoholic beverage had not been the wisest thing, despite how satisfying it had been to disappoint the Second.

"I am fine," she said. "The alcohol content of beer is not very high. I am not so fragile that one will leave me noticeably inebriated," she said, both to reassure him and to imply that she was actually feeling the effects of the booze, if not showing them. "I would have refused if she had offered me hard liquor."

A look of surprise passed over Shinji's face. "You knew she was hoping to get you drunk, didn't you?"

Rei's mouth twitched in the barest suggestion of a smile. "The possibility had crossed my mind," she answered.

Shinji sighed, glancing over at the redhead with an exasperated expression on his face. "You'll have to excuse her. She's in a crabby mood because she invited her boyfriend, but he had to turn her down," he said, then added in a quieter, conspiratorial tone, "Personally, I got the feeling she was really hoping that she could get him and Kaji fighting over her."

Rei quirked an eyebrow at Shinji's observation. She had no idea why such a conflict should be desirable, and yet it seemed like exactly the sort of thing the Second Child would want. She made a mental note to ask Athena if Asuka Langley Soryu was actually a child of Ares.

"Why was her boyfriend unable to attend?" Rei asked.

Shinji shrugged. "Apparently, he had something important he had to do."

* * *

"You are an idiot," Hades hissed at his son and chosen champion.

"I'm sorry, Father," Takai said quickly. "If I—"

"Silence," the Lord of the Dead commanded, his voice soft but as cold as ice. Takai snapped his mouth shut so quickly there was an audible click as his teeth came together.

The two of them were currently inside the demigod's apartment. Takai had gone down on one knee the moment he'd realized that his father was about to arrive, and the God of the Underworld had not yet given him leave to rise. As a result, Hades towered over his cringing son.

"You could have handed the last Angel victory, you know," Hades growled, his agitation causing him to pace about the room. "But you handed it to the champion of the Amazons, instead."

"Father…"

"I _thought_ I told you to be _**silent**_," Hades said, visibly seething with anger.

Takai looked down at the floor and didn't utter another word.

"If you hadn't sent that woman down into the Labyrinth, then the Wonder Girl wouldn't have been able to do anything except wander around in the dark," Hades continued. "Even if she had managed to find the Evangelion pilots without help, she never would have been able to lead them out. They would have remained hopelessly lost while the Angel penetrated NERV's defenses and ended all life on this world. But you had to send one of the only mortals on the planet who could navigate the Labyrinth in after your enemy."

Takai kept his mouth firmly shut, lest he give into the temptation to point out that his father was the one who directed him toward the Cheetah to begin with. Somehow, he suspected the Lord of the Underworld wouldn't appreciate the reminder, especially not now.

"Why did you make such a foolish move?" Hades demanded.

Takai remained silent. In truth, he hadn't realized that the Cheetah would know how to navigate the ancient maze; he hadn't thought anyone alive knew how to do that.

"Was it because you wanted to beat the Wonder Girl? To know she had tasted a more personal sort of defeat than being obliterated with everyone else on this wretched world?" Hades asked. "Answer me."

"Yes, Father," Takai lied.

The god's temper seemed to cool at this. "I understand the impulse," he said. "However, you must always remember what your true goal is. My children tend to gain victory through their deviousness, not their raw might. You are no exception to that rule, I think."

"Yes, Father," Takai obediently agreed. "I will keep that in mind for the future."

A small smile appeared on the god's face. "In the future I will be guiding your efforts personally," he said.

"Father?" Takai asked. "You have a plan?"

"I do," Hades said, and proceeded to explain.

Takai resisted the urge to grimace. His father's gambit was cunning in the extreme, but his part in it was not the most…_pleasant_ role. It was probably punishment for his recent failure, but that didn't mean Takai had to like it.

However, the demigod never even considered expressing his displeasure.

"A brilliant strategy," he said instead. "When are we going to execute it?"

"Soon," Hades said. "We must only wait until the proper time."

* * *

Back at the Katsuragi residence, the party was finally winding down. Rei had long ago come to the conclusion that she simply was not the party type; noise and crowds held little appeal for her. Even if the crowds were composed of people she knew and liked, rather than associates of the Commander she had never met before.

However, she had decided that she was all right with that, especially since Shinji, apparently, wasn't the party type, either. The two of them had eventually snuck off to seek refuge from all the noise on the apartment's veranda.

It was mercifully quiet there, and it felt private, even though they were separated from the other partygoers by only a couple of meters and a pair of glass doors. The sun had set over two hours ago, so it was quite dark. With the lights in the apartment blazing, the pair of EVA pilots could see inside if they wished, but Rei knew the others couldn't see them. Both of them were sitting on old lawn chairs Misato had put onto her deck, gazing out at the Tokyo-3 skyline. The hundreds of lit windows she could see in the otherwise dark buildings looked almost like an earthbound mirror to the thousands of points of light in the sky above.

"Did you have a good time, Rei?" Shinji asked, breaking their comfortable silence. He noticed that she had turned to look at him at the exact same time he had turned to face her.

"It was…an experience," was her rather politic answer.

Shinji smirked, obviously not fooled. "I didn't like it that much myself," he said, then his expression grew more sober. "I don't think Misato liked it very much, either."

"That is strange. She does seem to be the sort of person who would enjoy parties," Rei commented.

"Yeah, I know, but she was in some kind of funk tonight, and I don't know why," Shinji said, then seemed to shrug off the mystery as unsolvable, at least for the moment. "Anyway, I'm really glad you came tonight. I had a much better time than I would have otherwise."

"I would not have come if I did not know you would be here," she replied.

He smiled gently, his gaze flicking down toward her hand. Slowly, tentatively, he reached out for it with his own, clearly ready to pull back the moment Rei gave _any_ sign that she would not welcome the contact.

She carefully avoided giving such a sign. The tips of his fingers brushed her small hand, sending an electric jolt through her.

"Hey, guys!" Toji Suzuhara said, abruptly opening up the sliding glass door. The Third Child immediately pulled back from Rei. "There's some spring rolls left over. Did either of you want any?"

"N-No, thanks, Toji," Shinji stammered.

The ensuing silence was so awkward that even the jock noticed it. "Uh, did I interrupt something?"

"No," Shinji answered at once. "In fact, we were just about to go back inside."

"Yes," Rei agreed, holding back a sigh of disappointment.

* * *

The next day found Takai Banryu in the company of Asuka Langley Soryu. The Second Child had informed him earlier in no uncertain terms that he had to take her out to make up for missing the party. The young man had been only too pleased to give into her demands, and he'd picked her up shortly after school had let out. The two were currently strolling down one of the streets in the city's commercial district.

Unfortunately for the demigod, the redhead was in a foul mood that afternoon, and not just because he had failed to attend the gathering at the Katsuragi apartment the previous night.

The latest copy of the _Tokyo Tattler_ had been released that morning, and apparently every student in Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School had been talking about the cover story.

"**Wonder Girl!**" Asuka exclaimed disgustedly. "It's _always_ Wonder Girl! You think people would get tired to reading about her, but _**no!**_ Ever since she showed up in her stupid costume, barely anyone seems to remember that the Evangelions exist anymore."

"Honestly, I think that people make too much of a fuss over her," Takai said.

"Exactly!" Asuka said, glad to find perhaps the only other person in the city who agreed with her on the subject. "So she stops a couple of muggings. So what? I'm out there saving the Gott damn _world_, and I can't get a bit of appreciation!"

"I appreciate you," Takai said with a grin, smoothly wrapping an arm around her waist. "A lot."

The redhead rolled her eyes, but a smile made its way to her face, despite her best efforts. "That was fantastically corny," she said. "You're usually smoother than that."

"Not everyone can always bat a thousand," Takai replied. "Besides, I thought you could use a laugh."

Asuka shook her head, but she did not make any movement to remove his arm from around her waist. On the contrary, she leaned toward him a bit.

"Thanks," she said. "But this infatuation everybody has with her really does drive me crazy. It's like it's impossible to get a little respect in this city unless you put on a tight costume and punch out a guy trying to steal some other guy's wallet."

"Personally, knowing that there's a girl around who can juggle trucks and is accountable to no one but herself makes me feel _less_ safe," Takai commented.

Asuka merely made a noncommittal noise at this, which was far less than the enthusiastic agreement he had expected. However, Takai just shrugged this off.

"But we're not out here to worry about the Wonder Girl and her stupid costume," the demigod pointed out.

"Yeah, that's right!" Asuka said. "Come on, let's forget about her and find something to do!"

Takai smiled ruefully as he allowed the redhead to pull him along, but inwardly he resisted the urge to sigh. Despite his best efforts, he was growing fond of the flame-haired Evangelion pilot. It was a real shame that his actions would ultimately end up destroying her, along with the rest of humanity when Third Impact came.

Perhaps, he mused, his father would be willing to grant him rewards for his services, once victory was achieved. _I will be Prince of the Underworld, and she will forever be at my side_.

He smiled at the thought. The Second Child becoming the Princess of Hades seemed very appropriate somehow.

"Hey, what are you zoning out about?" she demanded, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Just thinking about the best way to spend the afternoon," he lied smoothly.

* * *

Michio Arai yawned loudly, resisting the urge to lean against the door he was standing next to. Being the night watchman at this damn warehouse had to be the most boring job in the entire world, he mused sleepily.

And his feet hurt.

_Really, it's not like this place even _needs_ a night watchman,_ he thought.

He had been at this job for over a year now, and no one had ever once tried to pilfer anything from the warehouse. He doubted that anyone even knew (or cared) what was inside the building.

Adding insult to injury, Michio was half convinced that no one would ever notice even if some thief managed to steal every last thing in the place. The items stored inside were all artifacts for a planned museum in Tokyo-3, but the project had been caught in some kind of hellish limbo since before he'd started his night watchman job. Until progress on it resumed, the artifacts were left to molder inside the warehouse.

_Honestly, what kind of idiot thinks that it's a good idea to open a museum in a city that's just one big war zone?_ He wondered. _If they ever do get the damn place open, it'll probably be blown to hell in a week._

Michio was so lost in his grouchy ponderings that he barely noticed the shadow. It was a quick thing, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sort of thing, but it was definitely there: a dark shape on the ground, racing past his field of vision in under a second. It quickly merged with the shadows cast by the warehouse, disappearing into the darkness. Though he was certain he saw it, he had no damn idea what had cast the shadow.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" he asked, his voice shaky. Cursing his own fear, Michio collected himself and added. "Come out! I have a gun!"

This was a lie, or at least a serious distortion. He was only armed with a stun gun, but he figured it might be able to pass for the real thing in the dark. He drew the weapon.

No one responded, but he thought he heard movement from somewhere close by. He began to suspect the whole incident might've been his eyes playing tricks on him, but he was far from convinced.

Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead, even though the night was cool. His palms grew moist, making the stun gun in his hands feel slippery. His eyes darted from one place to another, desperately seeking the intruder.

_Damn it, and a minute ago, I was bitching about how boring this job was! _Michio thought. _Curse you, karma!_

Despite his frantic attempts at spotting the intruder, he barely saw her coming. His eyes were only able to take in the shape of a woman cloaked in darkness as she leapt at him.

Releasing a small, embarrassingly girlish yelp of surprise, Michio depressed the trigger of his stun gun. The coiled wires burst out, sparking with electricity, but they never hit anything but air.

"Ha!" a distinctly feminine voice exclaimed derisively.

And then she was on him, tackling him painfully to the ground. Michio struggled desperately to get free, but the woman was impossibly strong; if she even registered his efforts, she didn't show it. Before he knew it, she had somehow managed to flip him over on his stomach.

"Let go of me!" he grunted out.

"Hmm…no," the intruder said, with a sound that was almost a purr, bizarrely enough. The night watchman could _hear_ the smirk in her voice.

"Let me go or—"

"Or what?" she interrupted, obviously on the verge of laughing. "Or what?"

He felt the point of something sharp being run lightly across the skin on the side of his neck. Michio's rational mind knew it had to be a knife, but his imagination conjured up the image of a claw.

A long, curved claw that had been sharpened to a lethal point.

He winced and pulled away from the sharp thing as much as he could, hating himself for his cowardice.

"That's what I thought," his assailant whispered, quickly binding his wrists and ankles with some tough cord, leaving him immobile.

Bizarrely, Michio thought he could feel fur brushing against him as his assailant worked, but surely that couldn't be. What kind of nut job would wear fur to a heist?

_The same kind of nut job who would think robbing this place was a bright idea,_ he realized immediately.

Moments later, he felt a wad of cloth being roughly stuffed into his mouth, to prevent him from shouting. He only belatedly realized that he probably should have been yelling this whole time.

Finished with him, his attacker walked off toward the warehouse doors. Michio sighed as best he could with the gag stuffed into his mouth, resigning himself to waiting until someone found him.

_I didn't even get a decent look at her,_ he thought. _I'm getting fired tomorrow for sure._

* * *

Having restrained the incompetent guard, the Cheetah casually strolled into the warehouse and began searching for her objective. The boxes were poorly organized, making her task more difficult. The feline femme cursed in annoyance, but she knew she had the whole night to locate what she wanted.

She hadn't seen the so-called Dark Centurion since she had fled from the Labyrinth; the boy in the black armor had apparently abandoned her.

"Just like man," she grumbled to herself. "Gets what he wants from me and then takes off."

Part of her, the rational part, the part of her that was a scientist, knew that she should just cut her losses and head home. It would be difficult for her to explain how she had gone on an expedition to Greece and had ended up in Japan, but she had had to explain away crazier things since gaining her feline powers.

The rest of her, however, just couldn't let it go. That blue haired girl possessed one of the most amazing artifacts she had ever encountered. That golden lasso was practically the Holy Grail for archeologists. Indeed, only the _actual_ Holy Grail could be a more fantastic discovery.

Not only that, but…

Cheetah rubbed at the place on her throat where the Amazon had drawn blood while threatening her with that sword. It was a small wound, tiny really, but it was healing very slowly.

Much like her pride.

"That little bitch will pay for that. Oh yes, she will," Cheetah muttered to herself, just as she finally found the box she was searching for. "Ah, here we go…"

Quickly using her strong claws to pry open the top, she began to tear through it, carelessly tossing the packing material to the floor of the warehouse as she did so.

"Ah!" she said as she at last laid eyes upon what she had come for.

She gingerly picked it up and headed out of the warehouse, wondering how such a fine piece had been left to rot in a warehouse for long. To just abandon it there was nothing short of _criminal_.

She smirked. Once she managed to translate all the glyphs on the exterior of the artifact—a task that would take some time, unfortunately—she would put it to _very_ good use.

* * *

Rei Ayanami was, of course, blissfully unaware of her new foe's schemes, or even that the Cheetah had opted to linger in Tokyo-3 rather than return to the life she lived when she wasn't furry. Because of this, and because there was little she could do about the Dark Centurion, the First Child concerned herself with other matters the next day.

Such as the Third Child.

"Are you all right, Shinji?" she asked without preamble, approaching her fellow EVA pilot after school.

He appeared startled by the question, or perhaps the abrupt way she'd asked it had caught him by surprise. "I…I'm fine," he said. "Why would you even think that something's wrong?"

"You seem unusually pensive," she answered.

Staring out the window during class had somehow lost most of its appeal for her in recent months. And since even she couldn't listen to the teacher drone on and on without becoming drowsy, her new favorite activity had become sneaking glances at Shinji.

As a result, she had noticed that he seemed even quieter than normal, and he had appeared more depressed than she had seen him in a long time.

"Oh, I was just thinking," Shinji said, then paused, biting his bottom lip as he tried to find the right words. "Have you ever thought you knew someone, and then found out something about them that you never would have expected?"

Rei's expression didn't change at all, but her pupils shrank until they were little larger than pinpricks. Had Shinji somehow discovered that she was Wonder Girl?

She discarded the idea almost as soon as it came to her. _Shinji would not confront me about it like this, if he knew_, she decided.

She wasn't quite sure how he _would_ confront her about it; as a rule, Shinji seemed to avoid conflict whenever possible, so she had yet to observe him actually seek out a confrontation. However, he wouldn't start by asking her a vague, hypothetical question that gave her the opportunity to unknowingly condemn herself. She felt quite sure about that much.

"No," she answered simply.

The corners of his lips quirked upwards in what might have been the start of a wry grin. However, he sobered before that could take shape.

"Well, I guess I have," he said. "Misato told me something…"

"What?" Rei asked.

"I don't really want to go into detail. It's not really my story to tell, you know?" he asked. When Rei nodded, he continued. "I asked her at the party why she joined NERV. She didn't tell me then, I guess because so many people were around…but she answered my question yesterday, and, well, the short version is that she joined NERV because she wants revenge against the Angels."

Rei tilted her head slightly to the side. "And?"

Shinji shook his head and shrugged, looking more than a bit confused. "I don't know. I guess it's just a little disconcerting. I mean, I never thought to myself 'Misato seems like a person driven by a need for revenge.'" He said. "Though, I guess some things do make more sense now…" he added, seemingly speaking more to himself than to her.

"And do you…dislike the Major now that you have seen this part of her? Are you angry that she kept this aspect of herself a secret from you?" Rei asked, just the tiniest trace of worry audible in her voice as she posed the second question.

"Hmm? Oh, no, of course not," Shinji replied, visibly snapping back to the present. As he digested the question, he blinked in surprise. "Like I said, it's just disconcerting to think you know a person and then find out something about them that's so completely unexpected."

"I see," was all Rei said in response.

Shinji favored her with another expression that looked like it wanted to be smile but fell short of its ambitions. "Let me walk you home," he said.

* * *

Though Shinji and Rei almost always enjoyed one another's company, conversation between the two was more the exception than the rule. It was perhaps not surprising, considering that both teens tended to be very quiet people, and that they had both lived very lonely lives. They were more than capable of luxuriating in the presence of another person without needing words.

However, the trek back to Rei's apartment building was especially silent. Shinji was still lost in his thoughts, and the First Child quickly became enveloped in her own troubles.

That she was keeping her duel identity a secret from Shinji was something she had never really given a thought to until now. She was so used to keeping secrets—she had kept the Commander's secrets her whole life—that it had felt only natural to her.

Yet now it finally dawned on her that if she was to ultimately choose to side with the Olympian gods over the Commander so that she could be with Shinji, she would have to tell the Third Child those secrets eventually.

_And what will he do when he finds out I am Wonder Girl, if discovering the Major's motives disturb him so much?_ She wondered.

A sudden spike of irrational irritation, mixed with a potent dose of fear, suddenly shot through her. What if neither Ikari would want her, now that she had become something so different from what she had once been? Though her heart rebelled against it, Rei knew the Commander would not want her as she was now unless he could use her new abilities to his advantage. How could Shinji possibly reject her as well? Didn't he realize that if both he and his father did not want her, then she would be even more utterly alone than she had ever been? How could the Olympians have done this to her?

It was with an effort that she managed to suppress this emotional storm. It was with even more effort that she kept herself from showing it.

Not very long ago, Rei would have been shocked to have experienced such a chaotic rush of feelings. Now, however, it was becoming distressingly normal for her.

_Another thing I can thank the gods for,_ she mused darkly.

Eventually, she and Shinji arrived at her apartment building. The still distracted Third Child said his goodbyes and then began to head for his own home. Rei looked at his slowly retreating form for a moment, a worried look in her crimson eyes, before climbing the stairs to her apartment.

"Hello?" she called as she entered her home.

The First Child was surprised to find it devoid of anyone but herself. She had expected to find Aphrodite sitting on her bed, toying with her hair or performing some other cosmetic task. The love goddess had shown a knack for appearing at opportune times, and Rei felt she could use Aphrodite's help in untangling her suddenly twisted emotions.

But she wasn't here. Rei's apartment was as empty of guests as usual.

The First Child briefly considered praying to Aphrodite and asking the love goddess to appear.

_She will probably come,_ the Amazon thought.

However, in her current state, Rei had little desire to beg for help from an Olympian, even one she generally trusted and liked.

_I must calm down, center myself,_ she decided.

The First Child had learned that strenuous physical activity was often an effective means of burning off unwanted energy. With a nod to herself, she went to Pandora's Box, quickly unlocking it and removing her costume.

Within moments, she had shed her school uniform and donned the Amazonian armor of the Wonder Girl.

Thus suited up, the blue haired superwoman approached her dirty window and carefully peered outside. Since she could no longer rely upon her cloak to keep her invisible when necessary, sneaking in and out had become more difficult.

But not _much_. Section Two had long ago decided that protecting her home was the most boring assignment they could possibly get, and they had long ago ceased to be vigilant in their duty. Wonder Girl was soon out of her apartment and flying in the skies above Tokyo-3, searching for crimes she could interrupt.

Instead, she soon discovered about the last thing she wanted to find at the moment: an Olympian god.

Or at least, Wonder Girl thought the figure standing atop a nondescript, ten-story building in the middle of the city was an Olympian god. She didn't know what _else_ the figure could possibly be.

With more than a little reluctance, Wonder Girl landed on the roof of the building to face the god, quickly realizing that the figure was, in fact, actually a god_dess_.

The deity who stood before her was unfamiliar to the EVA pilot, and, unlike the other Olympians she had encountered so far, this one boasted a pair of feathery wings. She was otherwise unremarkable in appearance, wearing a simple black shift and having straight, dark hair. She held a set of scales made from dark iron in one hand.

The air seemed to crackle around her, the way it always did in the presence of the gods, but the phenomenon was much less intense than Wonder Girl was used to. The First Child instinctively realized that the figure which stood before her was far less powerful than the deities she was used to dealing with.

However, she was still a goddess, and one that the Amazon did not recognize; caution was clearly called for.

"Greetings, Wonder Girl, champion of the Amazons," the deity greeted her in a flat, somber voice.

"Greetings," Wonder Girl replied, bowing deeply at the waist. "I am afraid I do not know your name."

The goddess's face briefly twisted into a scowl. "I am not surprised by that, unfortunately," she said. "I am not as well known as many of the other gods. My name is Nemesis."

Wonder Girl gave a slight nod of her head, but did not speak further. The name was not familiar to her, either.

The goddess apparently saw the lack of recognition in her eyes, because she elaborated, "I am the goddess of vengeance."

Wonder Girl's ruby eyes widened slightly at this bit of information. "Then you are here because…?"

Nemesis nodded. "The desires of humanity for revenge against the Angels have brought me here to aid you," she said. "It is within my power to bring you to where the Tenth Angel lays dormant, so you may slay it before it ever emerges from its chrysalis. Wonder Girl, do you accept my offer?"

The Amazon resisted the urge to bite her lower lip, knowing this choice wasn't as obvious as it might seem. If Athena or Aphrodite had offered her this chance, she would have leapt at it immediately, but that was because she trusted them.

She didn't know this goddess at all; it was all too possible that Nemesis did not have her best interests at heart. The minor goddess could prove as "helpful" as Apollo had been.

_But the chance to destroy the next Angel before it can attack…_

"I accept," she said, deciding that she would just have to be wary.

Nemesis smiled. "Very good," she said. "Then come forward."

The Amazon stepped closer to the goddess, who drew her wings around her, enclosing the blue haired girl inside a feathery cocoon.

Then, shadows seemed to swirl menacingly within the enclosed space. The temperature dropped abruptly, enough to cause her pale skin to break out into goose bumps. She resisted the urge to shiver only with a mighty effort, and only because Queen Hippolyta had told her that the Wonder Girl should avoid showing weakness whenever possible.

Finally, mercifully, it came to an end. Nemesis raised her wings, allowing Wonder Girl egress, and the Amazon retreated a few steps back, nearly stumbling as she went.

Wonder Girl was unsurprised to find that she and the goddess were no longer in Tokyo-3. Instead, they stood near the shore of a rocky island, which was dominated by a great, towering mountain of reddish brown stone.

"That was…unlike the times I have traveled with Athena, or Apollo," Wonder Girl commented, prudently leaving it unsaid that being teleported by those deities was far more pleasant.

"It is a different experience with every god or goddess," Nemesis replied in a dismissive tone.

"Where are we?" Wonder Girl asked.

"This is a small island off the coast of Japan," Nemesis answered. "You can see Tokyo-3 from here, actually." She added, pointing.

The Amazon squinted against the glare of the sun and looked in the direction the goddess indicated. Sure enough, she could just see the skyscrapers of the city she called her home in the distance.

It was strange, seeing it like this, Wonder Girl mused for a moment. She had never looked upon Tokyo-3 from outside the city limits. Indeed, except for her trips to Themyscria and Greece, she had never been outside the city before, period.

She wondered if she could fly back to her home without offending the goddess by turning down any offer to teleport her back; she'd rather not go through that experience again.

"Where is the Angel?" she asked, bringing her attention back to the task at hand.

"It sleeps inside the volcano," Nemesis said, pointing to the mountain which dominated the small island.

The Amazon's features briefly twisted into a mild grimace. If this Angel was anything like the one that Pilot Soryu had nearly died while slaying, then there was little she could do but wait for it to hatch and hopefully destroy it before it could menace Tokyo-3. Even her chances of surviving a magma bath weren't good.

The goddess seemed to read her mind. "Fear not, this Angel is not like the Eighth," she said. "It does not actually sleep within the lava, and it is not a creature of flame itself. Not long from now, the volcano will explode violently, and the Angel will use the force to aid its path up into space. From there it will attempt to attack from above. But only if you don't destroy it, first."

Wonder Girl nodded. "I understand," she said. "Are you coming with me?"

Nemesis shook her head. "There are rules I must respect, even as I bring vengeance," she said. "A mortal must do this."

Wonder Girl nodded. She had expected as much. "Very well," she said.

With no further ado, the Amazon took to the air, soon reaching the peak of the mountain. Nemesis watched her as Wonder Girl descended into the mouth of the volcano and then vanished from view.

The goddess released a sigh, and her form began to waver. Within seconds, the illusion had fallen away completely, revealing that "Nemesis" wasn't a goddess at all. Indeed, the figure wasn't even female.

"Well, here's hoping I don't need to impersonate a woman again any time soon," Takai Banryu grumbled to himself.

He hadn't been the least bit pleased that Hades' plan involved disguising him in such a fashion, but the demigod hadn't been stupid enough to object and risk his father's wrath. With the divine powers of the Lord of the Underworld, imitating the form of a goddess had been a cinch.

_Now I just have to hope this stunt didn't piss the __**real**__ Nemesis off,_ he thought, waiting for the fun to start.

* * *

Wonder Girl carefully lowered herself into the volcano, feeling a wave of heat sweep over her as she approached the lower depths of the thing. Beads of sweat instantly appeared all over her pale skin. She began to pant but then closed her mouth when the heat dried it out almost instantly.

The Amazon otherwise ignored the high temperature; she had endured far more unpleasant things in her life than this stifling heat. All her attention went toward searching for the still unborn Angel.

There were few surprises inside the volcano's rocky interior; a number of large ledges jutted out in various places, though few of them were connected. Trying to navigate the place would have been a very dangerous proposition for someone who couldn't fly like she could.

The bubbling lake of yellow-orange magma at the bottom didn't make things any safer.

She found the unborn Angel on a ledge about three quarters down the volcano's innards.

The chrysalises itself was enormous, and more than a little grotesque. It was easily the size of the Third Angel, and Wonder Girl quickly decided she could live without ever finding out how large this Angel would become when it emerged. The thing was not quite a sphere, bulging out in odd places, and while it was flesh colored, it looked rigid rather than soft. Black veins crisscrossed the surface of it, bulging and throbbing visibly.

She was trying to figure out the best way to destroy this huge thing without taking the risk of making it hatch prematurely when she heard the noise.

It was the sound of metal scraping against the stone, and whatever was causing it, it was _big_. The Amazon immediately got into a defensive stance and reached for her sword, only to discover it absent. She didn't carry it with her when she was patrolling the streets and unlikely to confront anything more dangerous than a common thug.

A hand appeared from below, grabbing hold of a stone ledge, and the champion of the Amazons knew that this was _definitely_ no simple criminal. The hand, from the tip of the middle finger to the bottom of the palm, was easily longer than she was tall. Additionally, it was made entirely of metal.

Moving with surprising quickness for a thing its size, the rest of the metal giant quickly rose from beneath the ledge, its massive feet causing the stone beneath it to crumble slightly. It would have looked puny next to Unit Zero, barely coming up to the prototype Evangelion's waist.

_Of course, I do not have Unit Zero with me right now,_ the Amazon thought, looking up at the metal giant.

To be blunt, it _towered_ over her.

It was in the form of a hugely muscled man, but Wonder Girl was not fooled into thinking it might be alive for even a moment; she could easily hear the machinery of its insides working. This thing was nothing more than a machine…and a poorly maintained machine at that. The clockwork giant was clearly in very ill repair. The bronze which made up its body was badly tarnished, and she could hear its internal mechanisms grinding and squeaking in distress. She thought she even caught a glimpse of _duct tape_ by its mechanical elbow.

Yet despite the obvious lack of regular maintenance, the automaton moved smoothly. It leaned down toward her, a massive hinge opening to allow its jaw to open, and it released a roar that shook the entire volcano. The tremendous blast of noise sounded as though it had come from an impossible large lion, and it was so powerful it shook the volcano, causing bits of rock to go falling down into the lake of bubbling magma at the bottom.

Wonder Girl was not impressed by the display. Indeed, she barely noticed it.

_Betrayed again,_ she thought, her hands balling into fists.

She could see the images of a hammer and anvil engraved upon the giant's shoulder, and she knew these were symbols of Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the Olympian gods. She knew that Hephaestus was said to use volcanoes as his forges, but she didn't believe that this automaton's presence and obviously hostile intentions were his doing.

Hephaestus had, according to Hippolyta, forged her Amazonian armor, along with several of the other items she possessed. The quality of the gear he had created had always proved nothing short of impeccable, and it seemed impossible that the divine master craftsman would let one of his creations fall into such a sorry state unless he had thrown it away.

Which meant this thing wasn't some mechanical guard left here by Hephaestus. Someone had found it in some Olympian junkyard, performed some slapdash repairs, wound it up, and then left it there in anticipation of her arrival.

And it could only have been the goddess of vengeance.

_Poseidon, Apollo, Hades, and now Nemesis,_ she thought. _The gods forced me to become their champion, and yet I spend more time fighting them than I do the Angels. Can I trust none of the Olympians?_

She knew from her studies that the Greek gods were no saints, but still, she had had a massive responsibility and awful decision thrust upon her by the deities. And with the exceptions of Athena and Aphrodite, she felt that she would have been happier to have never known the lot of them.

Of course, the clockwork giant cared not at all for her inner turmoil. It seized upon a boulder the size of a small house and hurled it directly at the Amazon with impeccable aim.

Wonder Girl, however, saw the rocky missile coming her way. Even annoyed as she was, she had been trained too well to take her attention off an enemy. She could easily have dodged the boulder.

But she wasn't in the mood for evasive maneuvers. Instead, she simply stood there, mouth pressed into a thin line, not batting an eye as the rock rapidly approached her.

Then she drew back her fist and launched a punch with a loud, wordless grunt. Her small hand crashed into the multi-ton boulder and it _exploded_ into a multitude of smaller pieces, the resulting gravel spraying out in all directions. Several pieces struck her, but she barely noticed.

Once the hail of pebbles had left her line of sight, she leveled a red glare upon the automaton. She knew this thing probably had some weak point, an Achilles' heel, as it were. Most of the monsters from Greco-Roman myth did; it was by exploiting those weaknesses that the heroes who had first defeated them managed to achieve victory.

However, while reducing a boulder to gravel with a single blow had been surprisingly cathartic, she still didn't feel like fighting this battle that way.

The Amazon launched herself into the air, speeding toward her enemy like a bullet. Her small fists slammed into the automaton's metal chest, leaving deep dents in the tarnished bronze. The giant went staggering backwards under the assault leveled at it by the teenage girl.

However, Wonder Girl could not pierce its armor, not with just her fists. She dearly wished she had brought her sword with her.

Just as she was beginning to ponder how she might end the battle, the automaton managed to strike back. It lashed out with one of its huge hands, slapping the champion of the Amazons out of the air like she was an annoying fly.

Wonder Girl let out a cry of pain as its metal hand struck her, sending her careening through the air. She crashed onto the ground with enough force to leave a spider web of cracks radiating out from where she had hit the hard stone.

The giant mechanical man wasted no time capitalizing, not wanting to give her a chance to rally. The shadow of its huge foot soon fell over Wonder Girl, and she realized immediately that it intended to crush her.

It brought its foot down, and she only had time to raise her arms, the bottom of its bronze sandal soon meeting her palms.

Wonder Girl's Amazonian might was pitted against the many, many tons of the automaton's weight, as well as its own not inconsiderable strength. She grit her teeth, pushing back savagely; she knew only too well that she would be crushed like an insect if she let the mechanical man win this contest.

For several long seconds, it was a stalemate, and the stone beneath the Wonder Girl was the only loser. It began to crack further and break, despite how solid it was (or had been), and she started to sink into it.

Then the muscles in her arms tightened and bulged, and, with a great burst of strength, the Amazon managed to pushed the giant's foot upward, allowing her to get to her feet.

The automaton wobbled for a moment, its arms flailing wildly, but it soon regained its balance and redoubled its efforts. Wonder Girl's knees buckled.

She was not about to lose now, however. She managed to muster one more explosive burst of strength, and with a loud grunt of effort, she straightened her legs and then propelled herself into the air, employing her flying ability.

The automaton's squeaky joints were nowhere near flexible enough for it to keep its balance as Wonder Girl forced its foot up higher and higher. It went falling backwards with an indignant roar.

The bronze giant landed upon its back with a crash that echoed in the confined space of the volcano, and for a moment, Wonder Girl thought their battle might not be over yet.

However, the impact of the giant crashing into it was simply too much for the stone ledge to bear, and it collapsed entirely. The bronze mechanical man was thus sent tumbling down into the lava at the bottom of the volcano. It landed with a great, dangerous splash and immediately began to flail about, desperately seeking escape. However, it was already doomed, and the bronze giant soon vanished beneath the surface of the magma.

That left her alone with the Angel's chrysalis. Wonder Girl turned to look at it, finding it had somehow remained completely unmolested throughout the furious battle. She half expected it to hatch on the spot, but it didn't so much as twitch.

Deciding she wanted this task done with as soon as possible, the Amazon searched the area for a boulder. There were plenty of them around, the automaton having broken part of the great stone ledge into so many huge chunks of rock. Wonder Girl selected a particularly large one, the grabbed hold of it and hefted it above her head. With a grunt, she brought the great rock down upon the chrysalis.

The exterior shattered like an egg, allowing a flood of orange-yellow liquid that strongly resembled LCL to gush out, where it quickly evaporated upon the heated stone inside the volcano. The body of the unborn Angel could be seen as well, though it was partially crushed by the boulder. Unlike the Eighth Angel, this one looked nothing like a human fetus. Instead, it was a mere blob of orange, viscous flesh, with the ruby sphere of the core clearly visible on the outside.

Wonder Girl went over to it and created a hole in the core with a swift kick. She was fairly certain it was already dead, but she felt it was best to be on the safe side.

Her task accomplished, the Amazon took to the air, all too eager to be away from this place.

She did not the see the way the shadows were gathering as she left.

* * *

The Dark Centurion grimaced as he materialized inside the volcano, immediately feeling as though he was being broiled alive inside his heavy armor. He was tempted to shed his metal shell right then and there, but he knew that he would have to put it back on as soon as his current task was done with.

With a sigh, he carefully picked his way through the volcano, soon approaching the corpse of the unborn Angel.

While he would have been nothing short of delighted if Wonder Girl had perished at the hands of the old automaton, the Dark Centurion had not expected the giant wind-up toy to best her. Nor had his father, for that matter.

Indeed, her slaying the bronze giant and then destroying the chrysalis had all been part of Lord Hades' plan.

Some things could be more dangerous when they were dead.

Stepping forward until he could smell the foul stench of the very large, very dead thing nearby, the Dark Centurion spread his arms, almost as though he was about to try and embrace it.

Now came the part that he was truly dreading, more than he had even dreaded having to masquerade as Nemesis. His father couldn't directly use his powers against a champion of the other Olympians, especially not in the living world. To do so would violate ancient laws, and _that_ would only invite the full wrath of Lord Zeus.

At _best_.

So Hades' plan was to bend the rules without breaking them by using his demigod son as a sort of conduit for his powers. The Dark Centurion would be the one to actually _use_ the energy, while Hades would just provide it to his son. It was a risky move; if they weren't crossing the line, they were walking right on it, but it should work in theory.

The Dark Centurion could only hope that it worked in practice, too.

"I am ready, Father," he whispered, spreading his arms.

Apparently having been waiting down in his own realm, Hades didn't need to be told twice. The Dark Centurion immediately felt pure, undiluted Underworld magic pouring into his body, and he cried out in agony.

As the demigod son of Hades, he was quite familiar with this power, having used it many times in the past. But he never would have been able to summon up so much by himself, and despite his divine parentage, he was still mortal. His frame could only contain so much of the power before it killed him.

Recovering from his shock at the flood of energy just in time to prevent his own demise, he redirected the magic at the corpse of the Angel, somehow finding the presence of mind to will the dead thing to rise.

The body of the Angel took on a grayish color, with its previous orange hue becoming almost unnoticeable, as it began a rather grotesque simulation of life. It started to grow at an incredible speed, taking on a more distinct shape, but one that wasn't at all humanoid.

The Dark Centurion was forced to retreat several steps, the dead Angel's growth causing it to rapidly take up more and more space.

His gaze turned toward the lava at the bottom of the volcano. It was visibly boiling with more violence than it had been mere minutes ago, and he could feel the stone beneath his feet shaking slightly. It wouldn't be long at all now.

He glanced at the Angel again, seeing that it was still growing at a prodigious rate even though his father was no longer flooding him with Underworld magic.

"Looks like my job here is done," he proclaimed, already melting back into shadows.

Now alone, the undead Angel continued to grow and grow until the volcano erupted violently enough to launch even its bulk high into the air.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

Vice Commander Fuyutski stifled a yawn as he sat in the big chair located upon the command center's highest tier. He knew that most of the people who worked inside the nerve center of the base referred to it as "the Commander's throne" when they thought neither Gendo nor Fuyutski was listening. However, the old professor really didn't think the nickname was appropriate.

Thrones were comfortable, or at least, so he imagined.

Gendo's chair, on the other hand, was too thinly padded. Also, thanks to its high and mighty position, he had to look down to see anything besides the main viewer and holographic tactic display, and doing so for more than a minute or two at a time quickly made his neck hurt.

He was just about to leave Makoto in charge long enough for him to go get a cup of coffee when the alarms started blaring.

"Report!" Fuyutski barked at once.

"Sir, we're picking up a massive object approaching the city at enormous speeds!" Aoba said.

"Putting it on the main viewer," Makoto added.

In a moment, the great screen which dominated the far wall of the command center lit up to show the gargantuan form of what _had_ to be the next Angel. Its body was mostly gray, tinged with orange, and at the center was what looked like a huge eye.

"How far above the ground is that thing?" Fuyutski demanded.

"Approximately two kilometers," Makoto answered it a low voice.

"How the hell did we fail to notice it until now?" Fuyutski snapped. "We're supposed to be able to detect blue patterns even if the Angel is in orbit!"

"The Angel's not emitting a blue pattern, sir," Maya spoke quietly. "It's not emitting any kind of pattern at all, in fact."

Fuyutski frowned. "Is it generating an AT field?"

"Negative," Aoba answered.

"It doesn't really need to, though," Makoto said grimly. "That thing easily weighs tens of thousands of tons, and it's coming toward us very quickly. The MAGI estimate that even a near miss could completely annihilate the entire city and the base."

Fuyutski's mouth set into a thin grim line. "How long before it makes landfall?" he asked.

Aoba's fingers flew over his keyboard. He swallowed as the MAGI produced the answer. "Approximately fifteen minutes," he said.

"How long to scramble the Evangelions?" Fuyutski asked softly.

He already knew he wouldn't like the answer, he just wasn't sure how _much_ he'd dislike it.

"Assuming best case scenarios, with the Children all being near a Geofront access point when we call them, and absolutely no delays of any kind…twenty-two minutes," Makoto said softly.

The Vice Commander allowed himself to sag in Gendo's chair.

_May God have mercy on us all,_ he thought.

* * *

Wonder Girl had been neither surprised nor displeased to find that Nemesis was nowhere in sight when she'd emerged from the volcano. The Amazon had not wished to so much as see the goddess again, let alone endure being transported back to Tokyo-3 by her. She had been quite happy to begin the long flight home, feeling only a desire to be back.

However, the long trip across the empty expanse of the sea gave her ample time to think, and for her temper to cool.

Recollecting on the battle, any satisfaction she felt at her victory quickly began to disappear. Though she had won, she had fought the entire conflict with just her muscles, rather than with both her strength and her mind. Artemis and Hippolyta had both cautioned her against doing that in the strongest of terms while she was training, yet she had fought with only brute strength because she'd been angry.

Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to contemplate the matter further, because it was at that moment that she saw it.

_It_ was an enormous grayish-orange _thing_, and it was falling from the sky directly toward Tokyo-3.

_The next Angel?_ She thought. _But how? I just killed it. It couldn't possibly be the Eleventh, could it?_

She shook her head, deciding that the question was moot; for the moment, all that mattered was saving the city from total destruction.

The Amazon swallowed. There was no way to fight this thing with her mind; its method of attack was far too brutal and simple for any clever counter-maneuver. This time she would _have_ to employ nothing but pure, brute force.

Wonder Girl knew she was strong—tremendously strong—but that thing was enormous, easily the largest Angel to date. It would be no easy task to stop it, even for her.

Yet difficult or not, she had to try. She accelerated her pace, cutting through the air at top speed toward the Angel.

A jet of flame appeared in her path abruptly, and she was barely able to come to a halt before she was burned extra crispy.

_What in the gods' names?_ She wondered, looking about rapidly. The great tongue of fire seemed to have materialized before her from nowhere.

It wasn't long before she located the source. The Dark Centurion loomed above her, riding upon an undead Pegasus. The mythical steed's flesh and black coat was falling off in places, revealing white bones beneath. The Wonder Girl's foe held his blazing sword tightly in his armored fist.

"Going somewhere, Amazon?" he asked.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This one took _forever_ to write, and it was really hard, probably because when I sat down to write it I realized I had never come up with any plans for what to do with the Tenth Angel.

I realize the narration to dialogue ratio in this chapter is pretty high, but Rei's simply not a talkative character, so there's just no helping it some times.

Anyways, enough of my whining. Thanks to my beta readers, and thanks as always to my readers and reviewers. Now for some fun!

* * *

Omake

You Sure About that, Takai?

"You know," Hades grumbled, "when Third Impact was successfully initiated, and the world of the living came to an end, I thought I had won."

"Father," Takai said.

But Hades ignored him. "I thought I would rule over all of what remained—the dead—and basically be master of all existence. "

"Father," Takai tried again.

"And when you asked me for a small boon, I thought 'what could possibly the be the harm?'" Hades continued, clearly on a roll now. "I was feeling generous, so I thought, why not? If I only _knew_ what would happen when I let your little girlfriend into the palace…"

"Hey! Less talking! More working!" Asuka barked at Hades.

The former Lord of the Dead grumbled something under his breath and put his full attention back to the task of fanning the new Queen of the Underworld. Asuka Langley Soryu sat upon a huge throne of solid platinum, waited upon by various servants and looking like the very portrait of opulence.

"At least _you_ don't have to do this crap while wearing nothing but bicycle shorts," Takai hissed at Hades while he fed Asuka grapes from a solid gold bowl.

"At least _you_ don't have to massage her feet all day," Kaji grumbled from nearby.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or anything associated with it, and I am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: **Unwise Moves

"Going somewhere, Amazon?"

Wonder Girl didn't answer at first, and instead just glared at the Dark Centurion, her eyes narrowing. The Amazon's mind whirled as she tried to process the implications of his abrupt appearance.

One thing Commander Ikari had always said was, "Show me a coincidence, and I'll open it up and show you two people scheming inside."

Even if she hadn't been raised by such a paranoid individual, she would have known it was impossible for her foe to have arrived here so quickly…unless he'd known that this situation was going to come about. Of course, the most likely reason for him to have such knowledge was obvious.

"You have something to do with that, don't you?" she demanded, pointing at the plummeting form of the Tenth Angel.

"Perhaps," was his only reply.

Wonder Girl felt just a trace of grudging respect for the Dark Centurion; it was foolishness to give one's enemy knowledge merely for the sake of gloating.

Yet regardless of how tight-lipped he was, the Amazon felt certain that he was responsible for the Angel. She didn't know the details, but she reasoned that they could wait for a later time.

_Preferably when Tokyo-3 is not on the verge of annihilation,_ she decided.

"You will leave here so I can deal with the Angel," she said, her tone frosty. "_Now._"

"Or what?" asked the Dark Centurion, and though his helm obscured his face, she could easily hear the smirk in his voice.

Wonder Girl discovered she was actually _glad_ that the Dark Centurion had replied in this manner, probably because she was still angry from discovering that one of the gods had betrayed her (again).

"Or _this_," she replied.

She surged toward him, the wind whistling in her ears as she shot through the air. The distance between the two foes disappeared in a heartbeat, and the Dark Centurion was too surprised by her abrupt attack to react in time. She was able to see his dark eyes for a just a moment – to see the mixture of fear and surprise within them – before she crashed into him, causing his heavy armor to ring like a bell.

Queen Hippolyta probably would have had her head for such a graceless maneuver.

"_Ahhh!_" the Dark Centurion shrieked as he was thrown off his steed and sent plummeting toward the ocean hundreds of feet below.

His undead Pegasus neighed loudly and immediately dove after him, but the demigod's heavy armor ensured that he fell like a hammer. Within seconds, the Dark Centurion had become a mere speck in the distance.

Not that Wonder Girl bothered to wait and watch her foe fall. The moment she had knocked him from his winged steed, she took off like a shot toward the undead Angel.

_Perhaps Hippolyta would not have condemned that attack, after all,_ she thought as she flew through the sky at top speed. _If nothing else, it was effective._

Within moments, her frantic flight had brought her close to the plummeting Angel, and she felt a chill run down her spine as she drew near. The air seemed to grow colder the closer she got to the Angel.

She frowned. That should have been impossible. Simple friction should have caused an object which was that large and moving that fast to grow hot, not cold. However, her pale skin broke out into goose bumps as got closer, regardless of what the science said.

_The Angel's temperature is unimportant,_ she decided as she somehow put on another burst of speed, positioning herself beneath the Angel.

The body of the falling behemoth had the appearance of an enormous eye, and the core at the center looked for all the world like a pupil. She flew toward the ruby sphere and found that the hole she had made in it was still very much in evidence.

Putting aside the question of what this did or didn't mean for the moment, she placed her hands upon the crimson material. Even though it looked like stone, it felt cold and clammy, like the flesh of a dead thing. She ignored the unpleasant sensation and began to push.

_Come…on!_ She thought, gritting her teeth with the effort.

Ever since Athena and Queen Hippolyta had made her the Wonder Girl, she had never truly confronted the limit of her superhuman strength. While she had been faced with many problems that pure brute force would not solve, she had yet to face a situation where her might simply wasn't up to the task.

Now her limits were finally being tested.

Her muscles strained, and for once, she actually feared that she was in danger of overexerting herself and pulling something. She could hear blood rushing in her ears, and she would have been completely unsurprised to know that her face was red with the effort she was expending.

Yet it was all for naught.

_No!_ She thought defiantly as the Angel continued to fall, her thoughts taking on a frantic tone.

Suddenly, in this dark moment, she remembered.

Shinji was down in Tokyo-3. Shinji would surely _die_ if she couldn't stop this giant beast.

_I will __**not**__ allow Shinji to die_.

The Champion of the Amazons found new strength from somewhere and renewed her efforts. For a few distressing seconds, she seemed to be having as little effect as she had had before.

Then the Angel seemed to slow. At first, she feared that it was only her imagination, playing tricks on her desperate mind. A moment later, she was sure of it; the Angel's descent was definitely slowing. The two "arms" on either end of its central mass flopped downwards, where before the force of the Angel's acceleration had pressed them back.

"Yes," she whispered triumphantly.

She had almost halted the Angel's fall completely when the temperature of its core dropped sharply, causing Wonder Girl to release a small cry of surprise and pain. It suddenly felt like she was touching not a dead body, but a chunk of solid ice. The cold was so intense that it _burned_, and she could see her fingers turning blue before her very eyes.

Caught off guard, she briefly stopped pushing so hard against the Angel, and gravity readily moved to regain its hold over the enormous destroyer. It began to fall again, and Wonder Girl once more grit her teeth and pushed upwards.

However, it was more difficult this time, now that her body was all but screaming at her to break contact with it.

_It is fighting me_, she realized. _It somehow reduced its temperature to try and get me to move away from it. Even though it is dead, it is fighting me._

That realization led to one inescapable conclusion.

Almost on cue, a blast of enchanted flame slammed into Wonder Girl's side, knocking her away from the Angel's core. The massive creature immediately continued its descent, while the Amazon herself went careening through the air, a cry of pain escaping her. It felt like the infernal flames were scorching her whole body, except her frozen hands, of course.

"Thought you could get rid of me that easily?" the Dark Centurion demanded. He had regained his flying steed and had his sword in hand. White hot flames blazed around the length of the blade.

_He sounds angry_, thought Rei. This was perhaps the first time she'd made him mad enough to show it.

Somehow, that brought her a feeling of satisfaction. "I was sincerely hoping that knocking you off your mount would work," she answered him honestly.

The Dark Centurion let out a growl and fired another blast of flame at her from his sword. Wonder Girl nimbly dodged the attack, but she knew that she now had a very real problem.

_I must get rid of him if I am to stop the Angel,_ she thought.

Unfortunately, throwing him off of that Pegasus had only temporarily gotten him out of her hair. It seemed that her most viable option now was to slay the Pegasus, but she was reluctant to do so; the Dark Centurion's ability to teleport was seemingly limited to whenever he was in the shadows, and there were precious few of those out above the open ocean.

Much as she had come to loath the armored man, she found herself hesitant to kill him.

_Am I even capable of killing the Pegasus? _She wondered._ It __**is**__ already dead._

Her musings were interrupted as the Dark Centurion fired another blast of flame at her, which she again dodged. Her crimson gaze flicked toward the still falling Angel.

_It is the Dark Centurion or all of Tokyo-3,_ she thought somberly.

Shinji was in Tokyo-3. Wonder Girl's resolve hardened.

She rushed toward her airborne enemy, but this time he was ready for her. A wall of flame appeared between them just before she could reach him; Wonder Girl managed to stop in time to avoid being flash-roasted, but her abrupt halt gave the Dark Centurion plenty of time to back away from her.

He did not try to take the offensive, however, and the Amazon's eyes narrowed, realizing exactly what he was doing. The Dark Centurion didn't need to defeat her to get what he wanted: he just needed to keep her from stopping the Angel.

_But I need to defeat __**him**__ before I can deal with the Angel,_ Wonder Girl thought grimly.

She was desperately trying to figure out some way she could quickly best a foe who was determined to play a game of keep away with her when she saw something, just barely spotting it out of the corner of her eye.

A streak of white and red against the clear blue sky.

_What is it?_ She wondered, as she tried to focus on it with no satisfaction; the thing was just too far away and moving too quickly for even her eyes to properly take in. _Another of the Dark Centurion's little surprises?_

She glanced at her foe, but he seemed just as surprised as she was by the thing's appearance. For a few seconds, the two combatants just stared in complete confusion at the blur of white and red, even as they both warily kept half an eye on the other.

Then the Dark Centurion realized that whatever the thing was, it was headed directly for the "eye" of the Angel.

"_No!_" the demigod exclaimed, grabbing the reins of his undead Pegasus and sending it heading straight toward the mysterious newcomer.

Wonder Girl reacted instantly, grabbing hold of the golden lasso at her belt, twirling it through the air once before casting it out. The loop at the end found one of the Pegasus's spindly legs and closed around it. With a grunt, she pulled as hard as she could on the golden rope.

The flying zombie horse, along with its rider, went careening wildly through the air, heading directly away from the Angel and the white and red blur.

The Pegasus's partially decayed vocal cords let out a loud, rattling neigh of terror. The Dark Centurion released a much louder, more piercing scream that the Amazon couldn't help but find satisfying.

Then the leg of the Dark Centurion's undead stead broke off with a wet squelching sound, leaving the Amazon holding a lasso that was now attached only to a dangling piece of rotting horse meat.

Just about any other fourteen-year-old girl in Wonder Girl's place would have at least said "ew" at this. The Amazon kept her commentary to herself, but she did wrinkle her nose slightly in disgust.

Eventually, the Dark Centurion's Pegasus managed to stabilize its flight, and it came to a stop, hovering in place. It didn't seem the least bit perturbed by the absence of one of its legs.

Its demigod rider, on the other hand, was furious. Even though he was wearing a Corinthian helmet, and even though they were more than a hundred meters apart, she could clearly see the anger burning in his dark eyes.

The fight between the two would surely have continued at this point, but a very loud, wordless battle cry from the streak of red and white caught their attention.

Wonder Girl's eyes widened when she heard it. _Is that thing…a person?_

Whatever it was, it was heading toward the core of the Angel like a speeding bullet. As the Amazon and the demigod watched, it crashed directly into the Angel's "pupil," the already-cracked ruby sphere shattering into countless pieces upon impact.

Nor did the mysterious person stop there. Moments later, it burst out of the back of the Angel's body, flying as fast as it had before.

The effect upon the Angel was immediate. Where before its descent had had purpose, now it flapped about listlessly in the air.

At the same time, the blur of white and red came to an abrupt stop, allowing Wonder Girl to finally see that it was indeed a person. Specifically, it was a masked blond girl of about her age, wearing a form fitting white leotard and a long red cape, which was flapping around dramatically in the breeze.

_…why didn't I think of that?_ Wonder Girl thought, grudgingly impressed by the inelegant but very effective maneuver the other girl had used to destroy the core. The Angel probably wouldn't have tried to freeze her to death if the Amazon had done that first.

Then she gave her head a quick shake to clear it; Tokyo-3 was still in great danger, and the newcomer's actions had done little to change that. Whether the Angel was undead or _dead_ dead, its mass would still cause immense devastation if it was allowed crash into the earth.

"I have to stop it," she whispered to herself, taking off toward the plummeting corpse of the Tenth Angel.

Only to have her path blocked—once _again_—by a jet of white hot flames from above.

"Did you forget about me already?" the Dark Centurion taunted.

"If only I could," Wonder Girl growled, instantly grabbing hold of her lasso and sending the loop of golden rope flying. The Amazon had aimed for the blade of that damnable sword of his, hoping to wrench it from his hands. However, he moved, and the lasso instead fell over him and the neck of his undead steed.

_Good enough,_ Wonder Girl decided, knowing that she had no time for finesse.

She gave the golden rope a hard jerk, dragging the Dark Centurion and his steed toward her. The demigod let out an angry yelp as he was rudely pulled toward his foe, and even the undead Pegasus released an equine cry. The Dark Centurion swung his sword at her, but he was already too close to her. The long blade was an awkward weapon at point blank range, and she easily brought up her arms, blocking the strike with one of her bracers. With her free hand, she fired a punch directly at his head, leaving a sizable dent in his helmet.

Displaying surprising resilience, the demigod struck back almost immediately, lashing out with his free hand. The Dark Centurion wasn't as strong as she was, but it still hurt when his armored fist slammed into her stomach.

He tried to pull away from her, but she grabbed hold of his armor and refused to release him. "Let go of me!" he growled.

"No," was her flat reply.

_I must try and remove him from this fight,_ she thought, even as they grappled. _If I cannot, then perhaps it will be enough to keep him occupied so the other girl can—_

The Dark Centurion made a fierce attempt to pull away from her, but the Amazon held fast. However, his effort did cause them to twist about in the air, and the change in position gave the two combatants a good view of both the Angel and the new superwoman.

What they saw so surprised them that they both immediately stopped struggling against one another. The new superwoman had completely halted the dead Angel's descent toward the ground; she was holding onto the relatively thin section of it between the central body and one of the masses on the side, and the thing was dangling limply from her grip like the world's largest and most bizarre rag doll.

_Wow,_ Wonder Girl thought. Having firsthand knowledge of just how heavy that Angel truly was, the blond superwoman's feat of strength was enough to impress even her.

Unfortunately, having stopped the Angel's fall toward the city, the new superwoman then proceeded to do exactly the wrong thing with it.

With a loud grunt, the blonde tossed the Angel toward the ocean.

"No!" Wonder Girl cried, and suddenly she was the one trying to get away from her opponent.

The Dark Centurion laughed, and his armored fist shot out and grabbed a handful of her short hair, keeping her from pulling away. The champion of the Amazons winced as he pulled on her blue locks, but the pain didn't stop her from acting. She grabbed hold of his forearm with both hands, then flipped him over her head, throwing him off the Pegasus and sending him plunging toward the sea for a second time.

Unfortunately, Wonder Girl won her freedom just a bit too late; only seconds after she had gotten the Dark Centurion off of her, the corpse of the Tenth Angel crashed into the sea.

"This can't be happening," she whispered.

But it was. The Angel's speed had been drastically reduced by the actions of the new superwoman, but it still weighed tens of thousands of tons. The place where it hit the water immediately gave birth to an enormous wave, and a monstrously high _wall_ of water began to rush toward Tokyo-3.

Not even the Champion of the Amazons could hope to stop _that_.

_What do I __**do?**__ There's no way to save everyone!_ She thought frantically. _Shinji. I will save Shinji. The Commander is out of town, so there is only one Ikari I must worry about. But where __**is**__ Shinji right now?_

It was a simple enough question; barring any Angel attacks, Shinji tended to keep a very regular schedule, so it shouldn't have been difficult to figure out where he'd be. However, panic the likes of which she'd never experienced before had gripped the Amazon's heart, and she couldn't seem to remember where he would be at the current time.

_What time is it? Where would Shinji be? Why can't I __**remember?**_ So many thoughts were occurring all at once, holding her tight.

The new superwoman seemed to have realized by this point that simply flinging the massive Angel into the ocean had been a bad idea. She flew down toward the oncoming wave and began to do…something. Wonder Girl couldn't quite see; there was too much distance between them.

And in the places she passed, the wave began to stop.

"It's freezing," Wonder Girl whispered, amazed.

Whatever the new superwoman was doing, it was causing thousands upon thousands of gallons of saltwater—_moving_ saltwater—to instantly freeze solid. Within a few moments, she had managed to form a complete lap around the tsunami that the fall of the Angel had unleashed, leaving an artificially made glacier floating in an area where the average temperature was above 80 degrees.

"Incredible," she muttered, impressed despite herself.

Then she snapped out of her shocked state with a jerk and immediately began to scan the area around her for any hint of black against the green sea. However, she found no trace of the Dark Centurion. He had apparently realized that Tokyo-3 would not fall that day and had taken his chance to escape while he could.

Eventually satisfied that the demigod was gone, the Amazon turned her gaze to the blue sky, looking for that new superwoman who had appeared so abruptly. She, too, had vanished from view.

A small scowl appeared on her face, though she didn't quite know why.

There was no denying that the mysterious new girl had been helpful during the battle. Indeed, Wonder Girl was too honest with herself not to admit that Tokyo-3 might have been destroyed without the masked girl's contributions.

Yet despite this, the Amazon had not come away with a good first impression of the undeniably powerful newcomer.

_Throwing the Angel into the water like that was simply reckless,_ she decided. _Queen Hippolyta would have had my head if I had made a habit of doing things without thinking them out like that._

Of course, such judgments weren't helpful to much of anything, and perhaps even worse, they completely ignored the obvious question. The Amazon had not allowed herself to contemplate it during the frantic few minutes of the battle, but now that the city was safe once again, she turned her mind to it.

_Just who __**was**__ that girl?_

* * *

Meanwhile, high above the mortal realm, Mount Olympus was currently home to one very angry goddess. Athena had watched the entire battle play out, using a wide but shallow bowl of water to scry it, and her thoughts were far removed from the question of who the mysterious caped superwoman was.

_How dare he!_ She thought, violently smacking the surface of the water and causing the image within it to vanish with a splash.

"How dare he?" she repeated aloud.

The goddess began to pace around her temple, her barely contained anger clearly visible in every short, quick movement.

"This is intolerable," she decided, ranting to no one in particular. "Unacceptable."

She had known for some time that Hades was actually working against the Wonder Girl, despite having initially pledged his support to her mission. She had likewise known that he had sent one of his demigod offspring to actively interfere with that mission.

She had known and accepted these things. When families were immortal and as powerful as the Olympian gods, epic family feuds were just a reality of one's life. Truly, Athena had felt little emotion when she'd first realized that her uncle, for all intents and purposes, had chosen to backstab her.

_But this…this is a new low,_ she thought.

For Hades to _use_ the Wonder Girl to slay the unborn Tenth Angel, all so he could turn it into an undead version of itself that was even more dangerous than the living one would have been…for him to intervene so _directly_ by utilizing his own powers, rather than just using his son to fight the Champion of the Amazons by proxy…

"It _cannot_ stand," she spoke. "Hades must _answer_ for this."

Reaching a decision, she quickly turned, the hem of her long robes flying as she did, and began to stalk toward the entrance of her temple. She had preparations to make.

* * *

Takai Banryu had not been surprised when the Commander had summoned him shortly after the Tenth Angel's (second) death. Indeed, he was more surprised that the man hadn't 'thoroughly' questioned him before this point.

Of course, just because he'd expected it, didn't mean that he was happy about it.

_Still, this isn't the worst thing I'm going to have to deal with today,_ the demigod told himself as he stared across Gendo Ikari's desk, where the man sat, hands folded in front of his face.

"What happened?" the Commander of NERV asked him.

Takai almost laughed; _that_ was a loaded question if he'd ever heard one, despite how simple the inquiry was on its face.

"An Angel appeared, and Wonder Girl showed up to stop it," Takai answered, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. "As per our agreement, I went to stop Wonder Girl. However, a new player appeared and stopped the Angel while I dealt with the Amazon."

Gendo Ikari's eyes narrowed, and even Takai had to resist the urge to squirm beneath the man's orange-tinted gaze. The demigod had known, of course, that Ikari would figure that he knew more than he was telling, but again, expecting it didn't help much.

"Yes, that new young woman," the Commander eventually spoke, "the one in the cape. Her abilities seem to rival those of our original nuisance. Who is she?" he added, his tone almost conversational.

"I don't know," Takai answered truthfully, making certain to meet Ikari's eyes as he spoke. "Even my father isn't omniscient, and I'm certainly not. I have no idea who she is or where she came from."

"Hmm," Gendo released a vaguely dissatisfied sounding grunt.

Silence fell for several long moments after that, with the Commander merely staring out into space as his mind went over the myriad of possibilities. There had been far too many unexpected elements affecting the Scenario as of late, so the abrupt arrival of the new superwoman was especially unwelcome. Nor was it the only problem he had to deal with…

Takai was about to ask if he could leave when Gendo spoke again without warning.

"Tell me, was it mere coincidence that the Angel appeared to already be dead on NERV's scanners while it made its suicide attack?"

Takai blinked; the question, following Gendo's long silence, was so out of the blue that he felt practically blindsided by it. However, the son of Hades was quick to regain his composure.

"I had nothing to do with it, if that's what you're asking," he lied. "Neither did my father. The Angels so far have come in all shapes and sizes, and have used a variety of different tactics. I don't think it's exactly extraordinary that this one came in with it's AT field switched off in an attempt to be stealthy."

_He knows, but he can prove nothing,_ Takai thought, suppressing the smug grin that wanted to form on his face.

Gendo paused for another long moment before speaking again. "I don't trust you, Takai Banryu," he said bluntly. "Unfortunately, you remain my only counter to Wonder Girl, and with a new superwoman in the city, you have grown even more important to me."

"Will that be all, then?" Takai asked, doing his best to sound bored. "May I go?"

"In a moment," Gendo said, holding up a hand to stop the boy from leaving. He fixed Takai with his most piercing gaze. "I realize that, with your father being who he is, you assume that I wouldn't dare to touch you. While it's true that I would be…reluctant to take such a risk, I will _not_ allow you to tear down my Scenario. I suspect, very strongly, that if I give your father what he wants, he would be willing to overlook just about anything I do to you. Do not forget that."

Takai couldn't help but swallow at that, mostly because he knew Ikari was probably right.

Still, he mused, this could have gone worse. Takai bowed his head slightly and vanished from the huge office in a swirl of shadows. A moment later, he rematerialized within his apartment.

Only to find the God of the Underworld waiting there for him.

_Now, __**this**__ is the worst thing I'm going to be facing today,_ he thought as he dropped down to one knee, bowing deeply.

"Father," he greeted the deity softly.

"What happened today?" Hades asked without preamble. "Why isn't Tokyo-3 a smoking crater by now?"

Takai swallowed. He knew there was no logical way his father could blame him for their latest failure to ensure the Angel's victory; he'd had no way of expecting that second superwoman to show up.

Unfortunately, logic hadn't meant a whole lot to his father recently.

"Another girl with incredible powers appeared and dispatched the Angel while I was dealing with the Champion of the Amazons, Father," Takai explained. "I don't know who she was. She didn't seem to be another demigod."

The explosion that Takai feared didn't come, mercifully. Instead, Hades clenched and unclenched his fists several times, silently fuming.

"Kill the Second Child," the god commanded.

The words hit Takai like a smack to the face. "What?" he demanded, quickly getting back to his feet.

Hades rounded on his son, and the demigod couldn't help but flinch and pull back. "I grow tired of seeing so little progress in this endeavor," he hissed, menace dripping from every word. "The death of an Evangelion pilot will at least be a tangible accomplishment."

"But…but, Father, Ikari already distrusts me," Takai protested. "If the EVA pilot I've grown closest to abruptly dies, he'll know it was me."

A small vial of some clear liquid appeared in Hades' hand. "Not if you kill her with this," he said.

"What is that?" Takai asked, looking at it warily.

"Poison. A very special poison," Hades said, holding the tiny bottle up to the light and appraising it, almost admiring it. "It requires several hours to take effect, and an autopsy of the Second Child will reveal the presence of several exotic neurotoxins in her system. NERV will have no choice but to conclude that mental contamination from Evangelion killed her, not you."

"Some forensics tech in NERV might, but Ikari may well still decide I had a hand in it," Takai warned, feeling nauseous.

"If Ikari is that paranoid, we're going to lose his cooperation eventually, anyway," Hades said dismissively. "We can continue on without his help, if need be. Do it."

Takai swallowed, drawing up every ounce of his courage.

"No," he said. "I won't."

"What?" Hades hissed with angry disbelief. "How dare you!"

The God of the Underworld seemed to grow larger then, but it wasn't a physical transformation. No, instead, the _presence_ of the deity grew, until it was like he filled the whole apartment without taking up another centimeter of space than he had a moment ago.

It was extremely intimidating, but Takai was familiar with the Olympian Gods. He knew that this was a much used trick of theirs when dealing with mortals, and somehow he found the ability to not cower in fear.

He did decide that a…tactical retreat was in order, though.

"I won't do it," he repeated, "_unless_, you swear to make sure she goes straight to Elysium."

Hades scowled. "You know that I don't actually judge where a mortal should go upon arriving in my realm," he said.

If he hadn't been so scared, Takai would've rolled his eyes. "Maybe not, but you're the Lord of the Underworld. You have influence," he argued. "You promised Elysium for Ikari and his wife if he helped in this, didn't you? Asuka has been fighting titanic monsters to protect the world. She deserves Elysium more than either of them."

Hades glared down at his son for a long moment. Again, Takai found himself fighting not to squirm. It was a lot harder than it had been with Ikari.

Finally, the god smirked. "Very well," he said. "Kill your girlfriend, and she will go to Elysium. I swear it upon the River Styx."

Takai couldn't help but grimace, wishing his father hadn't said it so baldly. Nevertheless, he dutifully reached out and accepted the tiny container of poison.

Hades nodded slightly to his son, then, without another word, the God of the Underworld vanished from the room, leaving the demigod all alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"POWER GIRL DEBUTS WITH A HUGE SPLASH!"

This was the headline that blared from the cover of the _Tokyo Tattler_, a local tabloid magazine which had apparently taken it upon itself to name the new superwoman. The cover of the publication showed a photo of the girl in the red cape as she flew by the great, frozen tsunami.

_How did they get this picture?_ Rei wondered as she gazed at it.

The First Child usually did not read the _Tattler,_ though she was aware of it, thanks to its great popularity within the city, and especially among the students of Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High.

However, the cover story had grabbed her interest. So when she'd seen another student disposing of his copy after school was dismissed for the day, she had liberated the publication from the waste bin.

Unfortunately, the article that accompanied the striking image proved to be very short on actual facts…and _very_ long on praise for the city's newest extraordinary resident.

_Over a page of detail and speculation on how she froze that wave, and not a sentence describing how she created it in the first place by throwing the Angel's body into the ocean. Why?_ She wondered, with a small frown.

There was another thing that was pestering her, as well. Though she'd never paid much attention to it before, the First Child knew that, in the past, news and gossip concerning her alter ego had dominated the magazine. Yet since the arrival of Power Girl, there was barely a mention of the Amazon within its pages.

_Why does this irritate me so?_ She thought, even as she resisted the urge to crumble the tabloid into a ball and toss it into the next prefecture.

"I didn't know you read the _Tattler,_ Rei."

She looked up to see that Shinji had approached her while she was engrossed in the magazine, and appeared to be looking over her shoulder at its pages.

"Normally, I do not," she said, speaking just a bit more quickly than she usually did, "but…"

She trailed off, not quite sure how to complete that sentence. The First Child found that she was…embarrassed to have been caught perusing the tabloid, though she could not have explained why this was so.

Fortunately, Shinji chose to provide the excuse for her. "You were curious about Power Girl? I can't say I blame you, with the way the whole city's talking about her lately. It's crazy how we have all these super-powered people in Tokyo-3 lately, isn't it?"

"…yes," Rei answered.

Shinji tilted his head slightly to the side. He was used to the First Child being a woman of few words, of course, but she normally wasn't quite _this_ terse anymore. At least, not with him.

He mentally shrugged it off. "Anyway, since class is over, do you want to swim with me?"

"That would be enjoyable," Rei answered, managing to pull her thoughts off the mysterious new superwoman long enough to give him a small smile.

Shinji grinned back and offered her a hand to help her up. Even though it was unnecessary, Rei gladly accepted the offer, and soon the pair was off. However, as they walked toward headquarters, the First Child continued to mull the latest developments. It didn't take long for Shinji to notice that she was being very quiet, even by her standards.

He had no idea why Rei was being so silent, and it made him nervous. Even Shinji, who arguably knew the First Child even better than his father by this point, often had trouble reading her. So far as he was could tell, Rei's silence might mean that she was angry about something, deep in thought, depressed…or just that she didn't have anything to say at the moment.

Shinji told himself not to let his possibly (probably) groundless worry that Rei was upset with him for some reason affect him.

To his credit, they were on one of the NERV base's gigantic escalators before he finally cracked, and the need to break the silence overwhelmed him.

"Sooo, what do you think of Power Girl?" he blurted out, his mind seizing upon the current hot topic of conversation within the city.

Rei turned to look at him, and her red gaze locked with his. Somehow, Shinji felt certain that if the First Child hadn't been pissed off about something before, she definitely was now.

However, her voice didn't contain so much as a hint of anger as she answered him. "She seems to keep to the more affluent parts of the city."

"More affluent parts?" Shinji frowned in mild confusion.

"Yes," Rei answered, with a small nod. "Power Girl seems to operate in the newer, more well-off parts of the city, even though there is much less violent crime there. Wonder Girl, on the other hand, more frequently acts in the poorer areas, where she is needed more."

Shinji blinked in surprise, both at Rei's words and the fact that she'd strung so many of them together at once. "I…hadn't noticed that," he confessed.

"I wonder why Power Girl stays in the richer areas," Rei said, sounding more like she was speaking to herself than to Shinji.

He chuckled. "Maybe she likes being in the news and wants to make sure that there are people with cell phone cameras around when she saves the day," he said, half-joking.

Rei's eyes widened at this; the First Child felt like a light bulb had just gone off above her head. She never would have come up with that explanation on her own, but it fit perfectly, she realized.

_Certainly, I know that there __**are**__ people who would apply their skills to where they're needed the least, if it meant getting attention,_ she thought. She still didn't fully understand_ why_ some people would do this, but her exposure to a certain redheaded German Evangelion pilot had made her accept that they would.

Mulling over these new thoughts, the First Child lapsed back into silence. This time, however, Shinji allowed himself to relax, content in the knowledge that Rei didn't seem to be upset about anything.

_Geeze, this escalator is really long,_ he mused idly, squinting as he tried to see the bottom of said moving staircase.

"Shinji?" Rei spoke up.

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"Which one do you think is more attractive?"

"Huh?" was Shinji's very articulate response.

"The superwomen. Power Girl and Wonder Girl," Rei clarified. "Which one do you think is more attractive?"

Shinji swallowed, and suddenly found himself vividly recalling exactly what it had felt like when he'd seen the Third Angel bearing down on Unit One's prone form during his first, disastrous sortie. He wouldn't claim to know a whole lot about the female mind and women in general, but even _he_ could recognize that Rei's question was…potentially dangerous, to put it mildly. Confronted with it, Shinji decided to go with what he felt was the safest answer.

"Oh…I don't know."

Rei tilted her head slightly and gave him a skeptical look. "You do not know?"

"Well, I mean, uh,…" Shinji stammered nervously, "Well, all the guys at school are always going on about how gorgeous Wonder Girl is, and ever since Power Girl showed up, they've been talking about how attractive _she_ is all the time…"

"Yes?" Rei prompted him.

"But I just don't see it," Shinji finished with a shrug.

The Third Child had wanted to add "I think you're prettier than either of them" but, most unfortunately, his nerve failed him, and he never spoke that particular bit.

"I see," Rei replied softly, her gaze moving toward her feet as they lapsed back into silence.

Shinji's words shouldn't hurt, she told herself. He had spoken them entirely without malice, and the Commander had always said that only those who were superficial and foolish worried about appearances. Yet…

It did hurt. A lot.

_He thinks I'm ugly…_

* * *

"You look beautiful today, Asuka," Takai commented.

The redhead smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. "Did I not look beautiful the last time you saw me?"

This response was able to throw even her normally smooth boyfriend for a bit of a loop, and she took his brief hesitation as an opportunity to glance back at the school. Her fellow EVA pilots had disappeared shortly after the teacher had dismissed them all for the day, but the majority of the student body was still milling around the school.

Asuka was pleased to note that several people were looking at her and Takai, and she could even hear a few of the other girls wondering amongst themselves who "the hot guy" the Second Child was speaking to was.

"Of course you were beautiful the last time I saw you," Takai said, finally regaining his composure. "You're beautiful every time I see you."

"Then why did you feel the need to tell me today, huh?" Asuka challenged, enjoying this little game.

"Maybe I thought you'd like to hear me say it," Takai responded, crossing his arms.

"So you're all about telling me what I want to hear, is that it?" Asuka said.

Takai sighed in mock exasperation. "You know, if you're going to do this every time I compliment you, then I'm eventually going to have to stop doing it."

The smirk on the EVA pilot's face finally transformed into a more genuine smile, and she stood on her tiptoes so she could give Takai a quick peck on the lips. "Well, we can't have that," she said softly. "So, what brings you here, anyway?"

"You," Takai answered with a grin. "I thought we could go for a walk."

"Sounds good," Asuka replied.

Takai offered her his arm, which she took, and the pair was soon heading off down the street. However, the moment he was finished applying the charm, the demigod's mind immediately turned to the task his father had assigned him.

He didn't want to kill Asuka.

He understood perfectly his father's reasons for wanting the girl dead; with NERV's most highly trained pilot removed from the equation, the odds that they'd be able to stave off Third Impact diminished considerably. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.

He had never met a woman like her before. Asuka was just so damn full of fire, so full of _life_…

Yet now the son of Hades was getting ready to kill her. True, he had ensured that she would go straight to Elysium when she died, but that wasn't making him feel much better about it. More importantly, he didn't think that _Asuka_ would feel much better about it because of that.

_But what __**choice**__ do I have?_ He wondered, feeling frustration boiling up within him. _If I disobey Father…_

Most children could move out of their parents' home (and their parents' influence), once they became adults. Takai, on the other hand, lived with the complete certainty that—no matter _what_ he did—he would someday be forced to return to his father's realm, and stay there for the rest of eternity.

It didn't help that his father could be one creatively sadistic bastard when he wanted to be.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Asuka asked, interrupting his thoughts. "You're so quiet."

"Hmm? Oh, nothing's wrong. I'm fine," he told her, but he knew she wouldn't just accept that, and his eyes darted around, searching for some way he could change the topic before she could inquire further. His gaze eventually settled upon a vending machine. "Hey, would you like a drink? I've got some money."

"Sure," Asuka said gamely.

He inserted his money into the machine, and a minute later, the two of them were drinking cans of coffee as they walked down the street. They walked and made small talk for a few minutes, with Takai now making a point of acting far more cheerful than he actually felt.

The demigod was just starting to entertain the hope that Asuka wouldn't give him the chance to slip her the poison when the redhead realized that nature was calling.

"Would you hold my drink for a minute? I need a moment," the EVA pilot said, gesturing toward a nearby public restroom.

"Of course," Takai said, accepting the can and forcing a smile in spite of the feelings of nausea in his belly.

Asuka disappeared, and the demigod reached into his pocket, removing the tiny vial of poison. This was it, he thought, the moment of truth. Either he killed Asuka, or he defied his father for his girlfriend, thus dooming himself to an eternity of torture and pain once he died.

_What choice do I have?_ He wondered with a sigh.

He poured the poison into Asuka's can of coffee, hoping that it would only take her a few centuries to get over this.

The redhead returned from the restroom a moment later, and he gave her back her beverage.

"Thanks," Asuka said, and took a long drink from it.

Takai tried, very hard, not to hate himself as he watched her consume poison, but he didn't succeed.

* * *

The sound of splashing echoed through the NERV pool area, as Shinji continued to swim laps back and forth. His graceful and practiced strokes were a sharp contrast from the nervous, jerky motions he'd exhibited when Rei had first started teaching him to swim.

The First Child herself was not in the pool; she had swum with him at first, as she usually did, but she soon found that she was not enjoying the activity as she normally did. An individual with a bit more knowledge of both emotions and idioms than Rei possessed would've said she just didn't have the heart for it that day.

So the blue-haired girl had gotten out of the water, toweled herself off, and sat down on one of the chairs by the side of the pool. There, she patiently waited for Shinji to finish swimming.

_I do not believe he has noticed that I left the pool,_ she mused as she watched him knifing through the clear water.

Shinji was not the type of person to just ignore her while he did his own activities.

As if to prove her correct, the Third Child paused long enough to look around, soon discovering that Rei had left the water. He quickly paddled to the edge of the pool and got out, water dripping off of him as he emerged.

Unconsciously, Rei swallowed and sat up a bit straighter in her plastic chair, suddenly feeling as though her eyes were glued to her companion.

Since he had finally mastered the art of swimming, Shinji had used it almost compulsively, as though he was afraid he'd completely forget how if he spent a full day out of the water. He'd actually spent more times doing laps than listening to his SDAT lately, and the results were starting to become visible. Though he was still rather skinny, long, lean muscles had begun to form on his frame.

_How did I not notice this before?_ Rei wondered as her crimson eyes darted over him, noting the changes in his physique. She felt her face heat.

Somehow, Shinji failed to notice the faint pink hue that had appeared in her usually pale cheeks. He leaned in close to her, a concerned expression on his face, and suddenly Rei felt the warmth in her face spread to the rest of her body, until she worried that she might be developing a fever.

"Rei?" Shinji asked. "Are you all right? Why did you get out of the pool so soon?"

The First Child felt a small flare of irritation at that; it had been his earlier comment about not finding Wonder Girl attractive that had ultimately caused her to leave the water, and her mood again soured at the indirect reminder.

"I got out because I did not wish to swim any longer," she answered, her tone rather cool.

Shinji blinked and pulled away from her a bit, confused. "Oh, um, okay," he said. "Then I guess I'll stop, too."

Rei just gave him a small nod. Shinji gave her a look, clearly still mystified by her behavior, but then he seemed to shrug it off and headed for the locker rooms. The First Child remained where she was, silently watching him leave.

Never before had she felt more tempted to heave a long, dramatic sigh.

_That was…attraction I felt for him …a very physical attraction,_ she realized. Only a few months ago (had it really only been a few months?), she would not have been able to place exactly what she felt, but she was different now. Not only was she able to recognize what she felt, but she decided that it was a…pleasant feeling.

Unfortunately, this presented her with a serious problem.

_I am attracted to Shinji, but he is not attracted to __**me,**_ she thought, hanging her head.

Rei had not considered this possibility. Not because she was vain, but because her tutor in all things romantic had always spoken as if Shinji being attracted to her was a given.

Speaking of her tutor, the First Child decided she could really use some words of advice from the goddess at the moment.

"What am I to do, Aphrodite?" she asked.

Silence. Rei raised her head and looked around, surprised to see that she was alone in the pool room. She had become so used to the goddess of love appearing whenever she was in need of romantic guidance that Aphrodite's absence now shocked her.

_She is a goddess. She must have other duties,_ Rei reasoned, ruthlessly suppressing the wave of petulance that attempted to wash over her with limited success.

No one seemed to want her that day.

* * *

_**"Are you insane?"**_

Even within the confines of the enormous Temple of Athena up on Mount Olympus, the scream managed to echo. The goddess of wisdom paused in her battle preparations and sighed softly; Aphrodite always did have one hell of a set of lungs on her.

The goddess of love stalked into the temple, unable to see her fellow deity because Athena happened to be squatting behind her chariot. "Where are you? I know you're here!"

Knowing that keeping to her present position would only be a useless display of cowardice, Athena reluctantly rose to a standing position. "Were you searching for me, sister?"

Aphrodite's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took in Athena's form. The other goddess was in full battle armor. "Yes," she said, practically growling. "I've been hearing the absolute _strangest_ rumors about you lately…"

"Those are no rumors," Athena said, turning her attention back to her chariot. "They're quite true."

A vein in Aphrodite's forehead began to pulse visibly. "Again, I ask, _are you insane?_" she snapped, her hands clenching, forming unpracticed fists. "What you're planning to do can only end in disaster for you! It goes against the rules."

Athena snorted. "Hades already broke the rules. Now it's time to see how he likes it when someone else does it."

Aphrodite tilted her head to the side. "What? What are you talking about?"

Athena turned her gaze back to the other goddess, looking her straight in the eye. "You know what Hades did."

Aphrodite frowned. "You're referring to the whole incident with the zombie Angel, correct?"

"Yes," Athena hissed, as though the mere memory of it angered her. "Hades has to pay for that. I will tolerate no more of such interference. I'm putting a stop to it."

"But Hades didn't break the rules!" Aphrodite protested.

"He used his powers to deceive the Wonder Girl into slaying the Tenth Angel," Athena growled, now working on her chariot with quick, angry motions. "Then he reanimated that Angel and sent it against our champion."

Aphrodite could barely believe what she was hearing; there was a very important distinction that Athena should have made but simply wasn't.

"Yes, but Hades acted through his own champion," she pointed out. "He _bent_ the rules—further than anyone has bent them in centuries—but he didn't _break_ them. You, on the other hand, are getting ready to shatter them."

"I don't care," Athena said. "Hades has to pay for what he's done."

Aphrodite hissed a curse in ancient Greek. "For the goddess of wisdom, you're being extremely stupid here! You know you can't just break the rules with nothing happening!"

"What I know is that it's been so long since any of have tried, that we've all collectively forgotten what actually _does_ happen when we break the rules," Athena said somberly, grabbing a sword and sheath off the wall and putting it on. "Perhaps it's nothing."

That answer brought Aphrodite up short. It was true, yes; none of the Olympians knew what really happened when they violated the ancient laws to which even they were bound. However, the goddess of love somehow felt quite sure that something _did_ happen, and that, whatever it was, it was _terrible._

More importantly, she felt quite sure that Athena secretly shared her certainty. Her professed belief that nothing might happen was just so much rationalization.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, in a voice that much quieter, yet no less serious, than what she'd been using since entering the temple.

"I already told you," Athena said. "I will not tolerate Hades' interference."

"Yes, you said that," Aphrodite replied, waving a hand in a dismissive gesture. "But I want to know _why_ you're so intolerant of his meddling."

"Hmm?" Athena frowned in confusion.

"You're had mortal champions before," Aphrodite explained, "and other gods messed with them. It's simply what we do. But you never flew off the handle and started gearing up for war like this in the past. You never let yourself get emotional enough to do something stupid. So what's different now?"

"All of existence, including us, is on the line," Athena said.

Aphrodite grinned humorlessly. "You might be able to fool others with that very _reasonable_ explanation, Owl Girl, but not me," she said, the mocking tone in her voice making it seem as though reason was a thing to be laughed at. "So, let me rephrase the question: what's different about _her?_"

Athena held the other goddess's eyes for several long, _excruciating_ seconds, with the two of them just glaring silently at one another. Then her expression softened. Wordlessly, Athena climbed into her chariot, a long spear clutched in one hand.

"If I don't return, take care of Wonder…take care of Rei," Athena said softly.

Aphrodite felt worry clawing at her. Given their often opposite natures, she and Athena didn't always get along very well. However, their alliance in support of the Wonder Girl had caused the relationship between the two to warm considerably, and, of course, they _were_ family.

Couldn't forget that, no matter how easy it might be to at times.

"Don't do this," Aphrodite pleaded. "Please, sister, don't. It won't end well."

"Perhaps not," Athena said, then paused. "_Probably_ not, but I have to try."

Aphrodite sighed. "I was afraid you'd say something like that…"

* * *

The next morning found Takai Banryu waking up in his apartment, following a restless and miserable night. Not fully awake at first, he looked around his home, feeling rather disoriented.

_Was it all just a dream?_ was the first coherent thought his mind was able to form.

The demigod found that idea—that his father had never ordered him to murder his girlfriend, and that he had thus _not_ poisoned Asuka—very appealing. With the haze that was only slowly leaving his tired brain, it even seemed possible.

Then he spotted the now empty bottle of poison sitting atop his small dresser, and he groaned loudly. _Not_ a dream, then.

"So that's it, then," he muttered. "She must be dead by now. I killed her."

Takai sighed and leaned back against his bed's headboard. He wondered if Asuka had reached Elysium by now, or if she was still crossing the River Styx. He hoped she'd appreciate the hero's welcome she'd receive upon entering the Underworld.

_I should…call her, just to confirm,_ he decided eventually, _and_ _a few worried voicemails from me in her inbox won't hurt when Ikari starts trying to figure out why a healthy teenage girl abruptly died._

He retrieved his cell phone and dialed Asuka's number, holding the phone up to his ear and silently going over what he'd say once he heard the beep.

"**Hello?**"

He was shocked when she picked up.

"Uh, hi," he stammered awkwardly, his mind reeling at the impossibility his girlfriend's voice represented. "How are you?"

Takai rolled his eyes the moment the words left his mouth. _Real smooth…_

"**Me? I'm fine, but what about you? You sound…off**," Asuka observed. "**And why are you calling this early, anyway?**"

"Oh, I was just hoping to see you later," he said, somehow managing to regain some of his composure. "And I'm fine, thanks."

"**That's sweet of you**," Asuka replied, but he could hear suspicion in her voice. Clearly, she didn't fully believe him. "**You can catch me after school again, if you'd like.**"

"It's a date," he replied. "See you then."

"**See you**," Asuka replied.

Takai pushed the "end" button on his phone, staring at it dumbly for several seconds. That conversation shouldn't have been possible.

_I __**saw**__ her drink that damn poison,_ he thought, racking his brain for some solution to this unexpected puzzle.

He supposed it was _possible_ that the whole thing had truly been some test of loyalty from his father, and that the bottle of "poison" had been about as deadly as water. Possible, but not likely.

_That doesn't seem like Father's style,_ he mused. _Besides, if the whole thing was just a test, why didn't he show up to tell me I passed after I put that stuff in Asuka's drink?_

Takai also considered the possibility that Hades had accidentally given him a vial of a non-lethal substance, but he quickly rejected that idea out of hand. The god of the Underworld would _not_ screw up something like that.

_So how is Asuka still alive?_ He wondered. _She didn't even sound under the weather!_

Clearly, he would have to investigate this mystery further.

* * *

The elevator inside Rei's apartment building was as slow and rickety as ever, she noted as she rode up to her floor. In the past, this had never bothered her much, but now she found herself feeling irritation.

_I should have taken the stairs,_ she mused. _That would be much faster than this._

Of course, the elevator wasn't the true source of her annoyance; Rei had been having a rather bad few days, after all. However, she didn't quite realize that she was finding the dilapidated state of apartment building so intolerable that day because of recent events that had nothing to do with her home.

The elevator finally came to a stop, and the doors slid open. Rei quickly entered her apartment, setting her school bag down on the floor. She turned…and spotted Aphrodite, sitting on her bed.

The sight brought her up short. Not because she was startled at seeing the goddess there; Aphrodite had, after all, made a habit of unexpectedly popping by, and Rei had even _wanted_ to speak with her lately. No, that wasn't it at all.

_She looks…disheveled,_ Rei thought with surprise.

Several strands of hair had escaped the elaborate braid Aphrodite had styled her long locks in that day, and her makeup was badly smeared in places. The unusually plain white tunic she had on was somewhat askew, and there was a wild, frantic look in eyes.

Rei, who had never seen the goddess of love looking anything less than immaculate, couldn't help but find the sight of the goddess now to be incredibly _wrong._

"What is the matter?" she asked Aphrodite.

"Athena actually did something stupid," the love goddess answered. "She's in trouble—_big_ trouble—and Rei, I'm sorry, but only a mortal has any chance of getting her out of it."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Well, Shinji's certainly done it this time, hasn't he? And, unlike usual, he has no idea what he did. Also, what precisely did Athena do? Tune in next time to find out! Though, being honest, I'm sure it's not too hard to guess.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.

Now for some fun!

* * *

Omake

Distraction Tactics

"I suspect, very strongly, that if I give your father what he wants, he would be willing to overlook just about anything I do to you," Gendo said. "Do not forget that."

Takai couldn't help but swallow at that, mostly because he knew Ikari was probably right.

Still, he mused, this could have gone worse. Takai bowed his head slightly and vanished from the huge office in a swirl of shadows. A moment later, he rematerialized within his apartment.

Only to find the God of the Underworld waiting there for him.

_Now, __**this**__ is the worst thing I'm going to be facing today,_ he thought as he dropped down to one knee, bowing deeply.

"Father," he greeted the deity softly.

"What happened today?" Hades asked without preamble. "Why…" he hesitated as Takai stood. "…why in the name of Olympus are you wearing women's shoes?"

The demigod looked down at impractical high heeled shoes he was wearing. "They make my legs look good." He answered simply.

Hades' eye twitched. "What?"

"Well, I just felt so _comfortable_ when I was disguised as Nemesis," he began awkwardly.

Hades scowled. "Listen to me, boy. No son of mine is going to go around in women's clothes," he commanded sternly. "Now take those shoes off."

"Yes, sir," Takai said quietly, slipping off the shoes.

"Good," Hades grumbled. "Now I don't _ever_ want to catch you wearing a lady's things again."

"Yes, sir." Takai said.

The god of the Underworld nodded, then departed, melting into the shadows without another world.

A broad grin broke out on the demigod's face the moment the god left. His father had completely forgotten to berate him for not ending the world.

"I can't believe that worked," he said, rubbing his now bare feet. "Man, how do women stand wearing those things?"


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Ten:** Into the Abyss

"I tried to stop her, I really did," Aphrodite said, wringing her hands together as she paced around Rei's tiny apartment. "But would she listen to me? _Nooooo._ Honestly, Athena's animal is an owl, but she can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes!"

This was _not_ the Aphrodite that Rei was used to seeing. No, in the past, the Greek love goddess had always been calm and collected, with nary a hair out of place. Yet now Aphrodite looked like a nervous wreck and a disheveled one, at that. The First Child was so shocked that she hadn't said a word since the goddess had told her that Athena had done "something stupid."

"I don't know _how_ she expected anything good to come from such an insane move!" the love goddess continued to rant, growing rapidly closer to full-blown hysteria. "I mean, there's a _reason_ none of us have broken the rules for so long!"

"Aphrodite," Rei finally spoke up.

"Okay, fine, I admit that we may have _forgotten_ what that reason was exactly, but that's not the point!" the love goddess continued, acting like she hadn't heard Rei at all. "We gods tend to have pretty good instincts regarding this kind of thing, and all of them said not to break the damn rules!"

"Aphrodite!" Rei repeated, much more loudly this time.

The goddess jumped, turning her attention back to the blue-haired girl. Aphrodite looked mildly surprised to see her, as though she'd nearly forgotten Rei was there.

"Yes?" she asked. She sounded far steadier than she had a moment ago, but she still had that wild, terrified look in her beautiful blue eyes.

"What happened?" Rei asked. "What did Athena actually do?"

"She broke the rules," Aphrodite said and began to wring her hands again. "I told her not to, but she did it anyway."

"Aphrodite," Rei said, grabbing hold of the goddess's shoulders and giving her a small shake. "Calm down."

The goddess blinked stupidly at the First Child for a moment. Then, amazingly, she actually chuckled. "Do you know what happened to the last mortal who dared to _shake_ me?" she asked with a shaky smile.

"I'm sure it was extremely unpleasant," Rei replied in a perfectly flat tone. "Now, will you tell me what Athena did?"

"She invaded the Underworld and attacked Hades!" the goddess burst out.

Rei's crimson eyes widened. "She did? But I thought it was forbidden for the gods to directly battle one another."

"It is!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "That's why I told her not to go!"

"Why did she do such a thing?" the First Child asked before the goddess could begin rambling once more.

"She was hoping she could force Hades to stop interfering with you and your mission, but her whole scheme was doomed from the start," Aphrodite explained. "Even if she'd managed to best Hades, _something_ would have happened to take her victory away from her. Perhaps the Fates would've intervened."

"But she did not best Hades," Rei deduced.

Aphrodite shook her head. "No, she didn't. Not even a war goddess like Athena had much chance against Hades, not in his own realm. She's his prisoner now."

"So she is lost to us, unless we can find some way to rescue her?" the blue-haired girl asked, wondering just why that idea seemed so awful to her.

The love goddess winced. "There are…ramifications to Athena's imprisonment beyond that," Aphrodite said reluctantly.

"Please explain," Rei said immediately, though it was more of a demand than a request.

"With the exception of Hades himself, gods really aren't supposed to be down in the Underworld," Aphrodite explained. "Things…bad things can happen when they're trapped there. It throws the whole world out of whack, starting with the gods and then progressing to the mortal realm. And there's no telling when the effects will begin to take hold."

Privately, Rei thought that the gods—or at least Aphrodite—might already be feeling the effects of Athena's absence. It might explain why the love goddess was teetering on the brink of hysteria, rather than approaching the situation in a more collected and wiser manner.

"Then we must rescue her and bring her back," Rei said, a determined expression settling over her features.

"That's not a good idea," Aphrodite said at once, eyes alight with naked fear. "I can't go down there, Rei. I'm just as forbidden from invading another god's realm as Athena."

"What about me?" Rei pressed. "Is it forbidden for me to invade the Underworld, too?"

"No," Aphrodite said reluctantly, not meeting Rei's eyes. "Mortals, even empowered mortals like yourself, are allowed to directly challenge whomever they please, even gods."

"Then I must go," Rei said, and at once went over to Pandora's Box. Opening it, she withdrew her Amazonian armor and began to change, heedless of Aphrodite's presence in the room.

"Rei, this isn't like fighting some punk demigod," Aphrodite said sharply. "Going down into the Underworld…it'll be unlike anything you've experienced so far."

"I have read the book of legends that Athena gave me," Rei said as she removed her school uniform. "It seems that living heroes went to the Underworld and returned frequently enough."

Aphrodite groaned. "The problem with legends, Rei, is that they never tell you about the people who got squashed like bugs!" she exclaimed. "For every Hercules, every Odysseus, every Orpheus who went to the Underworld and came back alive, dozens more have ventured down there and never returned! And most of the successful ones just wanted to go chat with some dead relative, not pick a fight with the god running the place!"

Rei pulled on her leotard, then reached for the heavier pieces of armor she possessed before Aphrodite grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Don't," she said. "You'll need speed and agility more than defense down there. Trust me."

The Amazon briefly considered questioning that bit of advice; combat wasn't exactly Aphrodite's specialty. However, she eventually put the bronze plates back inside the enchanted chest.

"I suppose I'll have to worry about the Dark Centurion while I'm down there," Rei said as she strapped her sword and sheath around her hips.

"No," Aphrodite said with a rather nasty smile. "That's probably the one bit of good news. Persephone is in the Underworld right now. Hades' bastard son won't _dare_ go down there until she leaves."

Rei frowned, briefly wondering how Second Impact—and its effect on the Earth's seasons—had affected Persephone's visits to the Underworld, which she knew were supposed to coincide with winter.

Then she decided she had better things to worry about.

"How do I get to the Underworld?" Rei asked as she rapidly coiled up her golden lasso and then put it in its place. "Besides…dying?"

Despite how scared she obviously still was, Aphrodite couldn't help but smile at the remark. "There are hidden routes to the Underworld, ways to bypass the River Styx and the whole business with the boatman," she said. "I can get you down there, but you'll have to make it back to the world of the living on your own."

"Then I will cross that bridge when I come to it," Rei said, putting her enchanted tiara on her head and completing her transformation into Wonder Girl.

She gave the goddess an expectant look, but Aphrodite made no immediate move to transport them to where the Amazon needed to go.

"You know, you don't have to do this, Rei," she said instead. "I could return to Olympus and petition Lord Zeus to order Hades to release Athena."

"What are the odds that that will work?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Um…"

"I suspected as much," Wonder Girl said flatly. "Aphrodite, this is the only way."

The love goddess sighed, clearly still not liking the Amazon's plan. However, she reached out and placed her hands on Wonder Girl's shoulders, teleporting them away.

The blue-haired girl gasped softly; traveling with Aphrodite was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She felt like she was floating, and the sensation of warmth she sometimes experienced around Shinji coursed through her, but far more intense than she'd ever felt before. It was as if contentment and happiness were tangible things she could wrap around herself like a blanket, and for the first time in her life, Rei Ayanami felt almost giddy.

Then they reached their destination, and all the pleasant sensations abruptly vanished, getting a small moan of dismay from Wonder Girl.

"We're here," Aphrodite announced, taking a step back from her champion.

The Amazon looked around, taking in her surrounds. They appeared to be in some sort of cave; everywhere she looked was dark gray stone, slick with moisture. Nearby was a tunnel that led even deeper into the Earth.

"One secret entrance to the Underworld," Aphrodite said, gesturing toward it. "This is as far as I can take you."

Wonder Girl nodded. "I will return," she promised, then headed for the tunnel.

The love goddess grabbed her shoulder before she could go more than two steps, halting her. The Amazon turned, giving Aphrodite a curious look.

"A few things before you go," the goddess said. "First, Hades can throw a virtually endless number of common soldiers at you. Do not allow yourself to be bogged down. Try to keep moving, at least until you reach Hades' palace."

"I understand," Wonder Girl nodded.

"Second, the rules regarding confrontations between mortals and gods will still be in effect. Even though you're invading his domain, Hades still cannot attack you directly unless you hit him first. So, _don't_ hit him," she said sternly. "Believe me, you don't want that fight, especially not while you're on Hades' home turf."

"All right," Wonder Girl agreed, even though she secretly wondered how she could possibly accomplish her mission without engaging the Lord of the Underworld.

"Also," Aphrodite added, "if the owl dares to give you any lip about how 'unwise' it was for you to do this, with the fate of the world depending on you all that, then her give a smack upside the head for me. A really hard one."

Wonder Girl just arched an eyebrow.

The love goddess threw her hands up, exasperated. "I'm never going to get a smile out of you, am I?"

"Perhaps you will," the Amazon said, completely deadpan. "Stranger things have happened."

With that, she plunged into the tunnel, heading for the realm of Hades.

* * *

Takai Banryu was in a pretty good mood for a man who'd essentially been snubbed earlier.

When he had called Asuka that morning in order to confirm that she was indeed dead, only to discover that she was apparently as healthy as ever, he'd been rather surprised, to put it mildly. Badly blindsided by the realization that she was fine, he had stumbled through their conversation, asking her out without even thinking about it.

They had set up plans to meet after she was done with school for the day, and the demigod had hoped that he might be able to find out how Asuka had survived drinking poison while they were together.

_That_ plan had crashed and burned when she'd contacted him shortly before classes at Tokyo-3 Junior High were dismissed for the day, informing him that NERV had called her and the Third Child in for some tests.

_Never before has being stood up looked like such a good opportunity,_ he mused to himself as he entered the apartment building where Asuka lived.

The demigod headed up to the door to her apartment and then pressed the doorbell. He was fairly certain that the redhead's guardian would be at NERV headquarters as well, but it didn't hurt to make sure before he slipped inside.

_If the woman answers, I can just tell her I'm looking for Asuka,_ he reasoned.

"Asuka? Katsuragi-san?" he called, just to be safe.

No answer. Finally feeling certain that he wouldn't be caught trespassing, Takai pulled back to a shadowy corner, closed his eyes, and teleported.

A moment later, he materialized inside the apartment. Once fully formed, the still wary demigod immediately got into a defensive posture, his eyes darting about for any sign that he wasn't alone.

"Wark!"

Without evening consciously thinking about it, Takai allowed the dagger concealed inside his sleeve to drop down into his palm, taking a firm grip on the handle. He prepared to thrust the weapon, but he stopped abruptly when he saw the source of the sound.

It was a penguin. The little water fowl was standing on the floor not two feet away from him, gazing upwards at Takai with a curious look in its beady eyes.

The demigod breathed a sigh of relief, returning his weapon to its hiding place. Asuka had told him about the bird, though he couldn't recall its name off the top of his head. He should've expected the damn thing to be there.

"Heh, you almost gave me a heart attack, you stupid bird," he commented.

The penguin responded by pecking him in the shin, _hard_.

"Agh!" he hissed in pain, and he very nearly _did_ stab the bird, after all.

However, he managed to stop himself, despite how much the penguin deserved it, because he _was_ hoping to get in and out without leaving any evidence that he'd ever been to the apartment. Coming home to find their pet water fowl eviscerated would definitely give the residents a clue that _someone_ had come by while they were gone.

The penguin must've seen the bloodlust in the demigod's eyes, though, because it very quickly retreated into a large refrigerator, opening a small door in the front by stabbing at a button with one of its claws in order to gain entry.

Takai tilted his head to the side slightly, staring at the large appliance in disbelief.

"…where in the world does a person _buy_ such a thing?" he wondered aloud.

Then he shrugged, deciding it was of no importance. The annoying avian was out of his way, and that was all that mattered.

_Now, to get to what I actually came here for,_ he thought.

He'd never been past the apartment's little entrance hall before, but it wasn't a big place, and he located Asuka's room with little difficulty. Resisting the momentary impulse to go riffling through the redhead's underwear drawer, Takai began to poke around the room. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but he felt certain that he'd know it when he saw it.

"Hey now, what's this?" he muttered to himself as he opened up Asuka's closet.

Sitting on the floor just inside it was a tall stack of magazines. Takai squatted down and began to go through them.

They were all copies of the _Tokyo Tattler_, and every issue had a picture of Power Girl on the cover. It looked like Asuka possibly had every copy of the tabloid to ever feature the Girl of Steel, judging by how many there were.

Takai frowned. He'd believed she hated the superwomen.

_No,_ he thought, his frown deepening. _She hates __**Wonder Girl.**_

He really hadn't noticed it before, he realized, but Asuka had never said one bad thing about the Girl of Steel, even though she had nothing but scorn for the Champion of the Amazons. It didn't really make sense; to a casual observer, the two superwomen would seem very similar.

So why would someone who apparently loathed Wonder Girl be a big enough fan of Power Girl to read and collect every issue of the _Tattler_ that she appeared in?

"Could it be…?" he whispered, probing deeper into her closet.

It wasn't long before he found the white leotard and red cape that Asuka had buried all the way in the back.

"Son of a bitch," he whispered. "She _is_ Power Girl."

Well, that certainly explained why she wasn't dead; apparently the Girl of Steel's invulnerability extended to poisons as well.

However, this left him with a whole _new_ set of problems.

_Am I even __**capable**__ of killing her?_ He wondered.

Takai wasn't sure, but he knew that he didn't want to keep making attempts until he discovered a method of assassination that worked. He wouldn't want to do that even if he wasn't rather attached to the redhead; the potential for her to realize what he was doing would just be far too high.

However, he was a child of Hades, and as such, Takai had been born a schemer. The demigod almost immediately began trying to figure out how he could turn this unforeseen problem into an advantage.

A slow smile formed on his face as he realized just how much potential this situation had.

"There is _definitely_ a way I can use this," he decided.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wonder Girl was feeling sure that she was _definitely_ entering the land of the dead.

She felt cold. This might seem only natural, considering that she was very deeply below ground and clad in only a leotard, but the Amazon hadn't been truly affected by temperature since she'd _become_ an Amazon. Now she was all but shivering.

Nor was this even the worst of it, not by a long shot. Something about her current location was making her skin crawl unpleasantly, and a deep weariness had grabbed hold of her minutes earlier. Despite the importance of her mission and the warnings she'd been given not to stop, the Amazon felt a nearly undeniable temptation to come to a halt, curl up on the stone beneath her, and take a nap.

_Is this what it feels like to be dead?_ She wondered, even as she doggedly continued on. _Or is it because I do not belong here yet?_

Either way, she definitely wasn't enjoying her time below.

Eventually, the tunnel she was flying through gave way to a truly massive chamber, one that could've housed all of NERV headquarters (both the pyramid and the significantly larger subterranean sections) and still had plenty of room to spare. Even her superhumanly keen eyesight didn't allow her to clearly make out the far wall. However, the chamber appeared to be empty.

_Aphrodite made it seem as though I would have to deal with Hades' entire army the moment I arrived,_ she thought. _Was she merely panicked and assuming the worst? Was Athena's absence affecting her that much already?_

Well, the Amazon decided, if Hades didn't intend on making this difficult for her, she wasn't going to complain.

Naturally, it was at this point that she detected movement in the distance.

"What…?" she whispered to herself in the distance.

The walls and floor in the distance appeared to be undulating, and for a moment, Wonder Girl wondered if the very stone was alive somehow. Then the Amazon drew a little bit closer, and the truth finally became apparent.

The walls and floor weren't moving at all; what the Amazon was seeing was an army.

On the ground stood legions of skeletal warriors, stretching out for miles. The animated bones were clad in uniforms from every nation on Earth and every era of human history. With only a glance, Wonder Girl spied British redcoats, Japanese samurai, and modern day US marines.

In the air flew countless monstrous beings. Some looked like oni, while others resembled the demons of Judeo-Christian lore. The blue-haired superwoman thought she saw harpies among the group, as well.

Not that she had very much time to survey her enemies; they were approaching her at an almost frantic pace, and the Amazon refused to slow down her own advance in the face of this army. It wouldn't be long before they were upon her.

One of the flying demons pulled ahead of the pack and foolishly got within striking range. Wonder Girl's sword rang as she drew it from its sheath, slicing the beast's head off with the same movement. Black ichor spurted through the air as the creature rapidly began to spiral toward the ground.

_One down, one billion to go,_ the Amazon thought grimly.

In a flash, her golden lasso was in her other hand. She twirled it through the air for only a heartbeat before casting it out, and loop flew perfectly around the long, slender body of an insectoid creature.

"Raagh!" she grunted through clenched teeth as she pulled on the lasso, causing the loop to draw closed around the giant bug. It released a furious buzzing sound as it realized it was captured.

The Amazon allowed her quarry to have as much slack as she could give it without surrendering her lasso, and the giant insect immediately pulled the golden rope taut.

Then Wonder Girl swung the lasso around in a wide, deadly arc, catching scores of other flying beasts. Feathers and shrieks of pain and anger filled the massive chamber as the Amazon knocked her enemies out of the air.

Yet even this was not enough to fend off her enemies for more than a moment. A seemingly endless tide of airborne monsters managed to navigate past Wonder Girl's spinning lasso and moved toward the Amazon. The blue-haired superwoman's sword flashed as she swung, taking the life of a few more monsters.

And then they were on her.

Countless monsters crashed into the Amazon head on. It was an artless tactic, but her foes' sheer numbers made it very hard to resist all the same.

For a moment, Wonder Girl's superhuman strength allowed her to persevere against the unending _tide_ of enemies trying to push her down. She swung her sword about furiously, confident that no matter what direction she picked, the blade with meet with one of her foes' flesh. Her other hand, still clutching the end of her lasso, lashed out, and her small fist knocked several of the beasts from the sky.

Then it simply became too much.

The weight and sheer ferocity of hundreds of kicking, scratching, and biting beasts forced the Amazon downwards despite her superhuman strength, and she released a loud cry as she went careening toward the ground.

"Ugh!" she grunted loudly as she hit the rocky floor of the chamber. The Amazon landed with such force that the impact created a spider web of cracks in the stone.

The flying creatures pulled back somewhat, but it was only to allow the innumerable undead warriors on the ground room to advance. Even so, the Amazon was able to get back to her feet in the split second she was given to breathe, easily performing a kick stand in one fluid motion.

_This is insane,_ she thought as an army the likes of which had never been seen in the realm of the living converged on her, though the placid expression never left her face.

Bullets flew through the air, too great in number for even the Amazon to deflect. The blue-haired superwoman didn't even waste time making the attempt, allowing the bullets to slam into her pale flesh. The myriad of different slugs and shells were unable to injure her, but some of the larger ones were intensely painful. Despite her best efforts to stifle them, tears of agony sprang to the Amazon's eyes.

Wonder Girl swung her sword, reducing a skeletal Prussian soldier to dust. She balled her free hand into a fist and bashed the bony face of a French musketeer, shattering the dry skull.

Then the skeleton warriors began to tackle her, dog piling the Amazon. She released a small cry as she again overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of her enemies. Within seconds, she was buried beneath a colossal pile of undead soldiers. She couldn't see anything besides the faded and tattered uniforms that hung loosely off of her foes. She could barely _breathe_.

_"Hades can throw a virtually endless number of common soldiers at you. Do not allow yourself to be bogged down. Try to keep moving, at least until you reach Hades' palace."_

Wonder Girl's eyes widened as she recalled Aphrodite's words of advice, spoken to her not two hours ago. How in the world had she managed to forget them? Was the Underworld affecting her that much?

_Never mind. It is irrelevant,_ she decided.

What was relevant was escaping this situation.

The Amazon gritted her teeth, pressing her superhuman strength to its limit. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the enormous pile of skeletal warriors went flying in all directions. A passive observer would have thought that a bomb had gone off in the center of the heap, not that a teenage girl had simply managed to stand up straight.

Yet the undead soldiers were undaunted by the Amazon's show of strength. For every one that was reduced to dust when they crashed to the ground, three more rushed to replace them.

_I must hurry!_ Wonder Girl thought.

The young superwoman took to the air once more, and the multitude of flying monsters took that as their cue to converge upon her once more. Wonder Girl's first impulse was to fight—to meet her enemies head on in combat. It was an instinct borne from her time on Themyscria, but she knew that in this case, it was wrong.

So instead of fighting, she merely plowed forward, her fists held before her. She struck at anything that got in her way, knocking it out of her path, but otherwise, she ignored her flying foes.

_There must be some way out of this situation,_ she thought, scanning her surroundings as best she could with hundreds upon hundreds of winged beasts buzzing around her like giant gnats.

_There!_

Her keen eyes picked out a small tunnel, very much like the one she had used to reach this vast chamber, in the far wall. She headed directly toward it.

Seeming to realize that she had located the exit, the fleet of flying monsters roared, cried out, or squawked in rage and redoubled their efforts to bring her down. The Amazon felt sharp claws scratching at her flesh, gigantic paws trying to bat her out of the sky, but she ignored it all and continued on.

_I cannot fall,_ she thought, _especially not here. Not in the Underworld!_

She broke free from the cloud of winged monstrosities mere seconds before she reached the tunnel. The beasts' cries of fury were so loud that they echoed even inside the gargantuan chamber.

Then Wonder Girl plunged into the little tunnel. The beasts attempted to follow, but their numbers, which had been an advantage only moments ago, now became their undoing. They all tried to enter first, and the result was a massive, hopeless jam, with the first several beasts getting painfully stuck in the mouth of the tunnel.

Not that the Amazon stuck around to watch this play out; she flew down the tunnel as quickly as she dared, and only after several moments did she venture to look back.

_It appears that I have lost them,_ she thought. _Good._

However, the Amazon's feelings of satisfaction didn't last very long. The already cool temperature plummeted as she went ever deeper into the Underworld, enough to cause even her severe discomfort. It wasn't long before every breath she expelled was steaming in the air.

Finally, when she was wondering if she would simply freeze to death, she saw a light at the end of her path. It seemed that she had almost reached the end of the tunnel.

_Hopefully, this leads to the Hades' palace,_ she thought.

The tunnel ended. Wonder Girl gasped when she saw her surroundings.

It was not the palace of the death god. Instead, it was somewhere very similar, somewhere she had once known very well. It was a place that still showed up in her dreams.

_This is…this was my room,_ she thought, looking around in amazement, memories she thought she had lost forever resurfacing abruptly. _This is where I lived, before I was allowed to leave Terminal Dogma._

It was a room as depressing and shabby as her current apartment, and yet the superwoman couldn't help but feel a trace of…_nostalgia_ as she looked around.

"It is rather nice, isn't it?"

The Amazon stiffened, the small voice catching her by surprise. She whirled, raising her sword.

Then she froze.

A little girl who appeared to be about four or five years old stood before her, clad in a red and pink dress. Her blue hair was cut short, and amusement glittered in her ruby red eyes.

"Most people would not understand," Rei Ayanami I spoke. "They would just see ugliness here. But this place was all I knew for a long time. It was my home. It was familiar. Safe. Secure."

Wonder Girl didn't respond, just staring at her previous incarnation with wide eyes.

Rei I tilted her head to the side, and a malicious little smile formed on her young face. "What?" she asked. "Are you _really_ surprised to see me?"

* * *

The two Evangelions faced each other, unmoving giants each giving silent challenge to the other. They were separated by more than a city block, but it was obvious that either could cross the distance in mere seconds. All around them, Tokyo-3 was quiet, as if its citizens were collectively holding their breath.

Then the EVA in the crimson armor abruptly burst into motion, sprinting _straight_ through the building between itself and Unit One, creating massive amounts of havoc as it went. Unit Two's progressive knife seemed to just appear in its fist, the blade flashing in the light of the sun.

Unit One took a few steps back, moving to get out of the way, but it was too little, too late. The production model's knife plunged into the test type's chest, causing the purple EVA to stagger backwards. Blood gushed from the wound. Then…

"Ha!" Toji laughed triumphantly as the video game declared him the winner, the image of Unit Two raising its fists skyward and roaring loudly. "That's three out of three!"

"Good game, Toji," Shinji said as he climbed out of the arcade booth, smiling weakly.

"Man, you think you'd be a lot better at this EVA simulator, Shinji," Kensuke commented, having watched the whole game, brief though it had been.

The Third Child just shrugged. "This thing isn't very much like the real thing," he said.

The jock's eyes narrowed. "Are you okay, Shin-man? You're even more quiet than usual today," he commented.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine," he answered, though his distracted demeanor put the lie to _that_ statement.

"Sure you are," Toji said sarcastically, crossing her arms over his chest and giving the pilot a hard stare.

Shinji squirmed uncomfortably for a moment before answering. "Look, I…I do this too much in real life," he said, gesturing back toward the game. "It gets to me when we do it here at the arcade."

The boy in the tracksuit seemed to buy this explanation; his posture relaxed and he allowed his arms to drop down by his sides.

Kensuke, however, wasn't so easily fooled.

"Uh-huh, so why didn't you ever get all mopey the dozens of other times we've gotten you to play this game with us?" the otaku asked skeptically. "C'mon, man, we're your friends. What's bugging you?"

"I think that Rei's mad at me, but I have no idea why," Shinji finally admitted.

Toji and Kensuke traded a look, then turned back to their friend.

"You think that Ayanami…" Kensuke began slowly.

"…is pissed off at you?" Toji finished.

Shinji shrugged. "Well, yeah."

The jock and the otaku again locked eyes for a brief moment before refocusing their attention on the Third Child.

"No offense man," Toji said, "but…"

"How can you tell?" Kensuke asked.

Shinji glanced from one of his friends to the other. "How do you guys do that?" he asked. "The finishing each other's sentences bit?"

"Never mind that," Kensuke said dismissively. "How the heck can you tell whether Ayanami's pissed off or not?"

"Yeah, man, she doesn't exactly get very emotional about…anything," Toji added.

"I just…I just know, okay?" Shinji said, spreading his arms helplessly. "I've been spending a lot of time with her lately, and she's been acting differently than usual. Colder. Quieter."

"Again…how can you tell?" Toji asked.

Shinji frowned, finally growing annoyed. "Come on, guys, knock it off," he grumbled.

"Okay, okay, calm down," Toji said in a placating tone. Then he smiled. "Man, we were just kidding around all those times we said that you had a thing for Ayanami, but it looks like we were right on the money, huh?"

"N-No! It's not like that!" Shinji insisted, blushing furiously.

"Whatever," Kensuke said, clearly not wanting to get into that. "Look, if it's bugging you so much, why don't you just go and ask Ayanami why she's ticked off at you?"

"Yeah, because asking girls why they're mad works," Toji said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Eh?" Kensuke frowned in confusion.

The jock responded by placing his fists on his hips, affixing an angry scowl to his face, and leaning toward the otaku. "I think you know what you did!" he exclaimed, pitching his voice an octave higher than normal.

The otaku snickered…then broke out into a fit of laughter. "Oh man!" he chortled. "You did that _waaaay_ too well!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Toji said, looking mildly embarrassed. He turned his attention back to Shinji. "Take it from someone who knows man. You're not getting a reason why Ayanami's mad at you unless she feels like telling you."

"What do you know about women?" Kensuke asked, still chortling.

"More than you!" Toji snapped, before again addressing Shinji. "Look, if you want to smooth this out, then buy her a present or something."

"Maybe," the Third Child said dubiously.

While he had little doubt that there were girls out there whose forgiveness (and affections) could easily be purchased with expensive gifts, Shinji didn't think there was a very good chance that would work with Rei. She didn't exactly seem to be a material girl.

On the other hand, it wasn't like he had any better ideas.

"Maybe I will," he said. "In fact, I think I'll go looking for something right now. Is it okay with you guys if I take off?"

"Sure, you're so distracted that you're not giving either of us much of a challenge anyway," Kensuke said.

"Hey, Ken, you want to play winner?" Toji asked, gesturing toward himself.

"Sure. Dibs of Unit Zero!" Kensuke exclaimed.

"Damn," Toji cursed, "why do I always get stuck using the Devil's EVA?"

Already walking away by this point, Shinji just shook his head ruefully. Toji and Kensuke were good friends, some of the best he'd ever had, but they both just came off as so childish sometimes.

Yet here he was, taking advice on a rather delicate matter from them.

_Well, they're less messed up than I am,_ he reasoned as he exited the arcade.

Fortunately for him, the place where he and his friends went to play video games and blow money was located in the middle of Tokyo-3's only shopping mall, so all the stores he could possibly want to visit were within easy walking distance.

The hard part was choosing something for Rei.

_What do you get the girl who doesn't have anything?_ He wondered, jamming his hands in his pockets. It should've been an easy question to answer, yet somehow, it wasn't.

"This might be harder than I thought," he sighed as he looked at the rows and rows of stores.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Wonder Girl demanded of her counterpart.

Rei I smirked. The sardonic, contemptuous little twist of her small mouth seemed out of place on such a young face. "I'm dead," she answered. "I belong down here. What are _you_ doing here?"

Realizing that her previous incarnation was in a less than helpful mood, Wonder Girl decided that she should just be on her way. She looked about for an exit, and soon spotted the heavy steel door that was the only means of egress from the room. As she expected, it was firmly locked, just as it had always been when she'd lived down there.

"Very well," she muttered to herself, cracking her knuckles.

With a grunt, the Amazon threw a punch at the door backed with every ounce of her superhuman strength, intending to knock it right off its hinges.

Incredibly, though Wonder Girl created a very large dent, the door remained in place.

"Impossible," she breathed.

The Amazon immediately struck the door several more times, switching to kicks when punches failed to remove the obstacle from her path. However, all her efforts were for naught.

"You know, it's not _actually_ a big old door that's stopping you, just like we're not _actually_ back in NERV right now," Rei I said condescendingly, as though wondering how her older self could possibly be so stupid.

The Amazon turned, and noticed with a trace of alarm that the tunnel she'd entered the room through had vanished. She was trapped.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "What is 'actually' keeping me here?"

Rei I spread her hands out. "Me," she answered with a small grin.

"You?" Wonder Girl's eyes narrowed. "How can you hold me in this place?"

The little girl sighed, as though the answer to that question was painfully and that explaining it would be a very large bother indeed. "I am the first, you are the second," she said. "You and I are linked, and you are in _my_ little corner of the Underworld now. You cannot leave here unless I say you can."

"Then what must I do to get your permission to leave?" Wonder Girl asked.

Rei I gestured to a tiny table that Wonder Girl was absolutely certain hadn't been there when she'd first arrived in the room. Three equally small chairs were placed around it, and a simple teapot made of porcelain sat in the center, along with matching cups.

"Tea party?" Rei I offered, and for just a moment, she looked like a sweet and innocent little girl.

Wonder Girl blinked, speechless. This was the absolute last thing she ever would have expected. She had never owned such a tea set, and she had certainly never indulged in a tea party.

However, if this was what her younger incarnation wanted to do, she saw no way around it.

"Very well," she agreed.

Rei I clapped her hands together. "Lovely," she said, rushing to the table to sit down.

Wonder Girl took her seat, ignoring the fact that the chair was far too small for her. She quirked an eyebrow in the direction of a third chair, upon which sat a simple doll with red yarn for hair and buttons for eyes.

Rei I smirked. "Oh, ignore her," she said. "She's just a…private joke. You pick up a lot of those when all you can do is watch the living world."

The Amazon remained silent, deciding that she didn't want to know.

"Tea?" Rei I offered, holding up the little pot.

"All right," Wonder Girl agreed, holding her cup forward.

Rei I poured for her, and the Amazon took a cautious sip, the taste of strong green tea hitting her tongue.

"I have a lot of time on my hands these days, and there is not much to fill it with besides watching the world of the living, like I said," Rei I told her. "I have seen a lot of other little girls my age do this. I…do not understand yet why they seem to enjoy it so much, but I am hoping that if I do it enough, I will." She confessed, a flicker of sadness ghosting across her features.

"I see," Wonder Girl replied in a neutral tone, even though she was secretly glad to have her curiosity about the whole strange affair sated.

"Of course," Rei I continued, as she poured for herself and then the doll, "I spend most of my time watching you."

"Of course," Wonder Girl agreed, playing along because she had no idea what else to do in this situation.

"And I have been _horrified_ at what I have seen lately," Rei I added, in a tone she might have used when discussing the weather.

Wonder Girl straightened. Why was her younger incarnation so upset with her? Was this what she needed to overcome in order to leave? Did she need to justify her actions to the first Rei?

"Why are you…horrified?" she asked.

Rei I took a dainty little sip from her cup, extending her pinky as she did so. However, once she put her tea down, she fixed her older self with an intensely cold glare.

"The way you've been fawning over Pilot Ikari, of course," she answered.

A frown formed on the Amazon's face. "I have not been—"

"Yes you have!" Rei I snapped, slapping the table so hard that she sent tea splashing out of the cups and onto the tabletop. "You devote a disgusting amount of time to trying to win that…that filthy maggot's affections!"

"Do _not_ call Shinji that," Wonder Girl hissed, hands balling into fists.

"Or what?" Rei I sneered. "You will kill me? I am already dead."

It took the Amazon a surprising amount of effort to master her temper. "Shinji is a good person. He is kind. He piloted Unit One against the Third Angel so I would not have to, even though he did not know how. He…he makes me feel warm inside," Wonder Girl confessed with a small blush. "It is very pleasant. You would understand if you had experienced it."

Rei I scowled. "Do you know why Ikari piloted in your place?" she asked. "It was because he knew if he refused to take the place of a half-dead girl, everyone would hate him. He's afraid of that. _That_ is why he piloted. Not for you. He didn't even _know_ you then."

"He knew me when he pulled me out of Unit Zero, after the Fifth Angel melted my Evangelion's armor," Wonder Girl countered.

Rei I smirked, as though her older self had just fallen into a very obvious trap. "Unit Zero took that much damage because Pilot Ikari needed you to shield him for longer than planned. And he needed you to do that because he was too slow destroying the Angel," she said. "He was frantic because he knew that if you died, it would be his fault, and everyone would hate him."

"You cannot know his reasons for his actions," Wonder Girl protested.

"Of course I can. I have watched him. He fears the scorn of others, even if those others mean nothing to him. He fears it intensely. It guides nearly everything he does," Rei I spat disgustedly. "It guided him to leap into a swimming pool to 'save' you, even though he cannot swim."

"He is k—"

"Kind?" Rei I interrupted her. "What has he really done for you? Most of the time you are the one showing _him_ kindness, and then only because Aphrodite told you to."

"He does not ignore me, like so many others. He treats me with respect," Wonder Girl countered.

"He pities you, he does not _want_ you," Rei I asserted, and with such certainty that the Amazon wondered if her prior incarnation knew something she didn't. "He told you himself that he does not find you attractive. Instead, he looks at you and sees the only person he's ever known who is more out of place in this world than he is. He seeks out your company because he feels superior when he's around you."

"That is not true," Wonder Girl said flatly.

"Prove it," Rei I said.

The Amazon opened her mouth, then hesitated when she realized that she had no proof of Shinji's true motivations, even though she still felt totally confident that they were not the self-serving ones the younger girl was describing.

"I cannot. Shinji has not told me his reasons for everything he does," Wonder Girl said, keeping her voice level. "However, I have…faith in him."

The younger girl's lip curled into a sneer. "Faith," she spat. "Well, here is something you don't have to take on faith: Commander Ikari cares about us…me…you."

"Yes, but—"

"Do you remember how it was when I was confined to this room? When it was my whole world? Do you have those memories?" Rei I pressed.

Wonder Girl hesitated, then nodded.

"Do you remember how frequently the Commander would come down here, to eat with me? To educate me? To just talk with me?" Rei I asked. "Do you?"

"Yes," Wonder Girl admitted in a small voice.

"The most powerful man in Tokyo-3, perhaps the most powerful man in Japan, and he always made a point of making time for me," Rei I reminisced, a wistful smile on her face. "A man who couldn't even be bothered with his own son. He didn't have to spend time with me. He did it because he cared about me, just as he cares for you."

"He has a use for me," Wonder Girl protested.

Rei I smacked the table again, sending more tea splattering onto the wood. Wonder Girl jumped slightly in surprise and hated herself for it.

"Do not say that he sees you as a tool!" she snapped. "People aren't nice to things they see as tools! People don't voluntarily get themselves hurt to save tools they can replace! People don't…people don't cry when a tool is destroyed."

"Cry?" Wonder Girl asked, her eyes widening.

Rei I nodded matter-of-factly. "Yes, cry." She said. "The Commander didn't let you see it, but he cried for me after the old hag killed me. He cried hard."

Wonder Girl blinked. She'd never known that.

"The Commander doesn't see us as a tool," Rei I continued. "He's the only one in Tokyo-3 who ever really saw us as a person. Pilot Ikari views us as some pity case, something he can hold against himself so he doesn't look so pathetic in comparison. Everyone else just sees us as some freak to be avoided, more like a beast than a person."

The Amazon swallowed, knowing that there was truth to her other self's last words, at least. She had heard many people refer to her as a "freak" or "weirdo" over the years. The Commander had always told her to ignore them, and she had long ago accepted that she would never be welcomed into a group, into humanity in general. Yet the reminder still hurt with the dull ache of a bad injury that had long since healed.

"And now here you are, working for so-called gods who want to stop the Commander from ever being happy again," Rei I continued, in a soft, almost sorrowful tone. "Gods who kidnapped you, manipulated you, and changed you to fit their needs. Gods who are constantly working to make the job _they_ gave you harder."

Wonder Girl was silent for a long, long moment. She wanted to argue, to protest, but she could find no flaw in her previous incarnation's logic to latch onto. The teenage girl felt shame welling up inside her as she thought of how easily she had been made to work against the man who had given her life.

"What would you have me do?" she asked quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

"Do not leave the Underworld," Rei I answered immediately. "If you stay long enough, it will be just like you had died, and the Commander can awaken the third. It will be like none of this ever happened."

"I…" Wonder Girl stammered.

"Stay," Rei I urged her. "Stay here. With me."

Those two words proved to be the dead girl's crucial mistake. The Amazon heard the longing her voice when she said them and saw that same longing reflected in her red eyes.

And just like that, everything clicked into place.

"I understand," Wonder Girl whispered.

"Understand what?" Rei I asked with a frown, clearly sensing that things were no longer moving in the direction she wanted them to.

"You cannot move on, can you?" Wonder Girl asked. "We are linked; you said that yourself. So long as I or any of our sisters live, you are trapped in this place. You cannot truly be at peace."

The younger girl's eyes widened, and the Amazon knew she was on the right track.

"Even in death, you are kept apart from the rest of humanity," Wonder Girl continued, her voice sympathetic. "So you have remained down here for years, all alone, with nothing to do but watch the world of the living. Watch, but not experience, and grow more bitter with each passing day."

"Stop it!" Rei I shouted, her normally pale face flushing a deep red with her rage. "Shut up!"

Wonder Girl ignored her and pressed on. "Then, one day, you see me starting to…to grow close to people besides the Commander. To question my loyalty to the Commander, and it makes you furious."

"Of course is does!" Rei I screamed, her young voice even higher than normal. "He was the only one who ever cared about us!"

"No," Wonder Girl said evenly. "He was the only one who ever cared about _you_."

Her words left the younger girl speechless. For several seconds, Rei I opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out.

Wonder Girl rose from her diminutive chair and went over to her previous incarnation, kneeling down on one knee so she was eye to eye with the young child. She gently placed her hand over the little girl's smaller one.

"I understand how you must feel," Wonder Girl said. "I can imagine what I would think of myself, if I was in your place. But please try to understand _me._ I have experienced so many confusing but often wonderful things because of the Olympians, and because of Shinji."

Rei I didn't reply, so the Amazon pressed forward. "I don't know if the warm feelings Shinji causes me to experience are the sign of something…real, or if I am merely deluding myself," she continued. "Perhaps you are correct, and Shinji _does_ see me as pathetic and pitiful. But I _have_ to find out. I have to know if life holds more for me than the Commander ever said it could. If I stay here and allow the Commander to activate an unaltered clone, I will spend eternity wondering if I could have had something meaningful with Shinji. If we could have made one another complete and happy."

Rei I one looked down at her shoes. "I'm so tired of being all alone down here," she said petulantly.

"I understand that, and I am sorry you are trapped in limbo like this," Wonder Girl said sincerely. "You may take heart in the knowledge that whatever happens, every last clone of us will die someday, one way or another. You will not be here forever."

Rei I didn't say anything.

"Please, will you let me see this through?" Wonder Girl asked. "Will you let me decide for myself what I want to do with my life?"

Rei I sighed heavily, and the armored door to the chamber opened, its hinges groaning.

"Thank you," Wonder Girl said.

Rei I smiled bitterly. "Words of gratitude," she said. "I never had a use for them. Not even around the Commander."

"I will not forget you," the Amazon vowed as she got to her feet.

"And if you find out that I am right about Pilot Ikari?" Rei I asked.

"Then I will do what the Commander created me to do," Wonder Girl answered, before she departed from the room.

The exit from her previous incarnation's personal hell led directly to another one of the long, winding tunnels that the Amazon was already coming to loathe. This one, mercifully did not seem to go on for miles and miles as the previous two had. Instead, it proved to be quite short, ending abruptly.

As the Wonder Girl emerged, she found herself before Hades' palace.

It was one of the most massive structures she had ever seen, easily dwarfing the NERV pyramid. The building was done in the ancient Greek style, with soaring pillars and bronze braziers lining the front. However, instead of the white marble most people associated with the aged ruins of that region, the entire palace was built from obsidian of the darkest black.

It would have surprised the Amazon not at all to discover that Hades' palace was the photo negative of Zeus' temple up on Mount Olympus.

As she drew nearer, her keen eyes quickly spotted more undead warriors standing by the gigantic door to the palace. The Amazon immediately readied herself for another fight, but it never came. Rather than open fire on her, the guards saluted her, displaying a level of synchronization that would've been utterly impossible for living soldiers, no matter how strenuously they might have drilled.

_It seems that Hades is finished throwing large numbers of common warriors at me,_ Wonder Girl thought, not quite sure whether she should be relieved or anxious about that.

She flew through the front entrance of the grand palace, directly into the main hall. It was so vast that a pair of VTOLs could have easily had a dogfight in it.

Still the Amazon pressed forward, eventually reaching a set of massive black oak doors that had been left open. Soaring through it, she entered a throne room that was huge even in comparison to the main hall.

At the far end of the room sat a pair of thrones. Hades sat upon the larger of the two, which was made out of what looked like solid platinum. Next to him, in a throne that had been craved out of more obsidian so it resembled a black flower, sat Persephone. The Queen of the Underworld looked almost as imperious as her husband.

However, Wonder Girl's barely paid them any heed; her attention was immediately captured by the room's other occupant.

"Athena!" she exclaimed.

The goddess of wisdom had been stripped of her bronze armor, and was now clad in only a tattered white shift. She was gagged, and thick chains were wrapped all around her form, forcing her into a kneeling position by Hades' feet. Yet her gray eyes were as sharp and willful as ever.

"Welcome to my palace, Wonder Girl," the Lord of the Underworld greeted her, a small, smug smile on his face.

"Hades," Wonder Girl spat. "Release Athena. Now."

The god's smile widened. "Only if you can make me."

The Amazon's hand immediately went to her sword. She was just an instant from drawing the blade when she stopped, recalling Aphrodite's words.

_"Even though you're invading his domain, Hades still cannot attack you directly unless you hit him first. So, __**don't**__ hit him."_

She hesitated, suddenly unsure of what to do. If she struck at Hades, the god would probably respond by obliterating her, and then everything she had endured would be for nothing. However, she didn't know how else to go about forcing the god to release Athena.

Hades arched an eyebrow as the moment dragged on. "Frightened, Amazon?" he asked. "Scared to fight me?"

"No," Wonder Girl said.

"Yes, you are, and with good reason," Hades said, tenting his hands before his face. The gesture made him look disturbingly similar to the Commander. "So instead, I offer you another way to get what you seek. A wager."

"A wager?" Wonder Girl repeated, wary of a trick.

Hades nodded. "Yes. The terms are simple. You face one challenge of my choosing. If you defeat it, then you may leave here with Athena. If you fail, then you will become _my_ champion, and you will work to achieve my goals."

"What is the challenge?" Wonder Girl asked.

"That, Champion of the Amazons, is something you can only learn if you decide to take my wager," Hades said.

Wonder Girl bit her lower lip, considering. There was no doubt in her mind that the god of the Underworld had a virtually impossible task ready for her. However, her odds of overcoming whatever he had in mind where probably better than her odds of defeating Hades on his home turf.

She had not come all this way just to give up now.

"Swear upon the River Styx that you will honor the wager if I win, and I will accept," she told Hades, recalling the oath that Apollo had once used.

Hades smiled in amusement. "Ah, the Amazon learns fast," he observed, turning toward his wife. Persephone did not break her stony silence, and the Lord of the Underworld directed his gaze back at Wonder Girl. "Very well, I swear upon the River Styx that I will honor our bet if you win."

"What is your challenge?" the Amazon asked.

As if in answer, the massive doors to the throne room slammed shut of their own accord, startling Wonder Girl. Yet before she could demand to know what was going on, the blue-haired superwoman saw shadows pooling on the floor in several places. They swirled and churned like water, growing steadily, taking on shapes.

Familiar shapes.

Wonder Girl gasped as she recognized them, the shadows becoming flesh a moment later.

Sachiel. Shamshel. Ramiel. Israfel. Sandalphon. Matarael.

"Your challenge is this, Champion of the Amazons," Hades said. "Defeat the Angels which have fallen in combat to the Evangelions. All of them."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yes, _another_ cliffhanger. Bear with me here. I promise that the next chapter won't end with one. Probably.

And what could Takai _possibly_ have in mind now that he's discovered Asuka's alter ego? I'm sure you can take a few guesses.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it, and am making no profit off this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven:** Hades' Challenge

In her brief time as a superwoman, Wonder Girl had already faced a number of imposing challenges.

She had done battle with Hades' demigod son more than once, finding his cunning more dangerous than his prowess in combat. She had fought a woman who could make herself part animal. She had tried to stop the inexorable plunge of a massive undead Angel.

Yet nothing equaled the challenge that Hades himself had just put before her, namely defeating the half dozen Angels that NERV's forces had already slain.

For a brief moment, silence rang in the Lord of the Underworld's throne room as Wonder Girl looked up at her enemies, who towered over her like small mountains.

_There is nothing to do but face this,_ the Amazon decided, placing a hand upon the hilt of her sword.

Drawing the weapon, she soared into the air, a fierce war cry bursting unbidden from her mouth. If she'd had time to think about it, she would've been stunned that such a loud and ferocious sound could come from her.

The Amazon made a bee-line for the Third Angel, knowing that it was one of the weakest of the group. Hopefully, she could overwhelm and kill it with her abrupt attack, making the rest of the battle easier for herself.

The Angel lashed out with one of its gangly arms as she approached, but she was quick and small. Wonder Girl nimbly dodged the attack, swinging her sword and leaving a long gash across the Angel's forearm that oozed cobalt-colored blood. Though it should've been just a scratch to a being so large, the Angel pulled back, howling in anger.

Her path clear, Wonder Girl reached the core, her fist crashing into the ruby sphere with enough force to leave a spider web of cracks across the surface and send the Third Angel staggering backwards. It crashed against the wall of the throne room, then went sliding down into a sitting position.

_One more blow should do it,_ the Amazon judged, wrapping both hands around the hilt of her bronze sword.

She went plunging toward the Angel, and the beast could only look up at her. Though its ossified face was unable to duplicate any type of human expression, the Amazon thought she saw acceptance in it as she moved to destroy it for a second time.

Then Shamshel lashed out with one of its energy whips, striking her right across her back.

Wonder Girl threw her head back and screamed, for the first time understanding the agony that Shinji had felt when he'd fought this Angel; getting hit by the glowing whip was like being struck by a bolt of lightning. The force of the impact knocked her completely off her previous trajectory, and the world seemed to spin crazily as she careened through the air, totally out of control. Eventually, the ground rushed up to meet her, and she hit it with enough force to leave a small crater where she landed.

Needless to say, this would have killed a normal person. Wonder Girl needed a few seconds to shake out the cobwebs.

It was almost a few seconds too many. Israfel, still in its unified, singular state, moved to step on her, intending to squash her like a bug. The Amazon scrambled out of the way just before its foot came down and lashed out with a kick backed by every once of her superhuman strength. Israfel went staggering.

_Shamshel,_ Wonder Girl thought, her gaze flicking to the Fourth Angel. _Clearly, it is too dangerous. I must destroy it first._

She flew toward it, sword at the ready. It lashed out at her with its energy whips again, but this time she was paying attention to them. They were fast, almost a blur, and the Angel's movements had no pattern that she could discern, but she was small and agile enough to avoid them.

With a loud cry, she slashed at the thinnest part of the Angel's stubby arm, slicing cleanly through it. The energy whip winked out as the severed appendage went falling to the floor.

Wonder Girl moved to similarly remove the other arm, which would leave her free to attack the Angel's core. However, before she could reach it, she felt a wave of heat wash over her skin and looked up just in time to feel a gout of flame rushing toward her, courtesy of Sandalphon, the Ninth Angel.

The Amazon dived out of the way, but not before the tongue of flame clipped her. Her divinely blessed flesh and magic armor refused to burn, but the intense fire still hurt. Wonder Girl was barely able to resist the urge to scream, and tears of agony pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Well done, Champion of the Amazons!" Hades taunted her. "Well done, indeed!"

Wonder Girl spared him a glance, and for a moment, she felt such raw fury grip her that she almost charged toward _him_.

Then she remembered that he was not her opponent in this fight, and that attacking him would only make her already grim situation infinitely worse. With an effort, she turned her attention to Sandalphon.

The Ninth Angel, which she had never seen before, was hovering in the air several hundred meters above the floor. Though it was vaguely fish-like in appearance, its entire body appeared to be on fire. As its last strike had proven, it could utilize those flames as an offensive attack.

_How am I to defeat this?_ She wondered in dismay. _I do not even know where its core is._

Unfortunately, she did not get very much time to ponder the question. Below her, Matarael, the arachnid Angel, loosened several small, quick blasts of brown liquid from its eyes, and Wonder Girl knew only too well that it was a deadly acid. She weaved through the air, avoiding it easily.

Then Sachiel unleashed a blast of cross-shaped energy into the air as well, with Israfel doing likewise a moment later. Sandalphon joined it, spitting gouts of fire at her, and Shamsel attempted to whip her with its remaining arm. The air above the throne room had become a deathtrap.

_This is insanity,_ Wonder Girl thought, nearly loosing track of up and down as she pulled off a series of wild, midair maneuvers to avoid being struck. _How can I possibly defeat all these Angels at once?_

Then, one of her crazed loops caused her to face the Fifth Angel, Ramiel. The giant diamond-shaped entity was on the verge of discharging its energy weapon.

_No, _Wonder Girl, her blood turning to ice water in her veins.

She _knew_ this Angel. She knew it better than any of the others that the Evangelions had slain. She could still vividly remember how much it had _hurt_, bearing the brunt of its attack so Shinji could slay it. Sharing in Unit Zero's pain as the heat shield failed and its armor began to melt, feeling as though her own skin was being scorched and was sloughing off with it.

It had been worth it, in the end, of course. To see Shinji smiling back at her, to witness him saving her, just as the Commander had saved her. To know that someone besides the Commander cared for her, even though the younger Ikari had barely known her at that time.

Yet just because it had been worth it didn't mean she wanted to repeat the experience. On the contrary, the very thought terrified her, paralyzed her with fear as little else could have.

"Say good-bye, Wonder Girl," Hades taunted.

The god's words, ironically, were all it took to snap the Amazon out of her stupor, but by then it was nearly too late. The deadly beam of energy erupted from one of the points of the Angel, lancing out toward her at blinding speed, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to dodge it.

She held her arms up, crossing them before her as though to block the blast with her bracers. Wonder Girl knew it was a pointless gesture; the energy beam was several times thicker than she was. Yet an Amazon never surrenders, so she would not go to her demise without at least trying to resist it.

_I'm sorry,_ she thought, though she wasn't exactly sure who she was apologizing to. Shinji perhaps.

Then the energy beam reached her, and, to her amazement, Wonder Girl wasn't instantly vaporized by the attack. Instead, her bracers appeared to draw all the energy toward themselves, the magic in them somehow narrowing the attack so they could shield her from it.

"Amazing," she breathed.

Unfortunately, the bracers' magic was unable to negate the sheer power of the energy beam. Wonder Girl could feel the metal bands on her forearms heating up, and in seconds they were glowing white.

The heat would have melted a normal human's flesh right off their bones. Wonder Girl was far more resilient than that, but she still felt as though her skin was on fire.

Not only that, but the energy attack was pushing her backwards. She struggled mightily to resist, but even she didn't have the strength. It was all she could do to keep her bracers in front of her as she went careening through the air, the Angel redirecting its beam, pointing it downwards so she eventually crashed into the floor for a second time.

Yet still, the attack continued. Wonder Girl could feel the stone floor giving way beneath her body and the pressure the Angel's attack was applying to it. She could barely breathe, and for a moment, she thought that she was going to be crushed to death.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the energy attack finally petered out.

Wonder Girl knew that she should have gotten up, should have moved before the Fifth Angel could strike again, should have attacked.

Yet she was just so _tired_. The Amazon possessed vast reservoirs of strength and stamina that an ordinary human could never hope to match, but she was still mortal and still had limitations. Having had to fight armies just to get this far, and with the weight of despair at the seemingly hopeless situation pressing down on her, she was nearing the limits of her endurance.

She turned her head, just enough so that she could meet Athena's gaze. Despite having been stripped of her armor and wrapped in chains, the goddess looked as proud and defiant and ever.

Wonder Girl mouthed an apology to her.

The bound and gagged goddess could not speak, but Wonder Girl got a response all the same.

_Take heart, my champion,_ Athena's voice sounded inside her head. _All is not lost yet, and you can still win this battle. Be wise. Fight smarter, not harder._

Hades, apparently sensing the telepathic message, quickly moved to upbraid the goddess, but it was too late. The tiny spark of hope revitalized the Amazon, and she found the strength to spring back into action, quickly getting out of the way as Sachiel attempted to step on her.

_But how do I "fight smarter"?_ She wondered, as a barrage of attacks from the Angels immediately put her back on the defensive.

Desperate for inspiration, she thought back to her time training on Themyscria.

* * *

Rei was practicing her swordsmanship (or swordswomanship) that day.

She didn't know why the Amazons felt it so important that she learn how to wield a blade; modern armies had ceased to equip their soldiers with swords centuries ago. Yet Rei Ayanami was, if nothing else, a person who followed orders, and so she performed the sword practice without objection or complaint.

That day, her opponents were three other Amazons. Each one had been training for countless years, and they were all considered masters of the blade, even among their fellow warrior women. Like all Amazons, they possessed strength, speed, and agility well beyond those of normal humans.

The whole thing was starting to bore even Rei, who was known for being impervious to tedium at both NERV and school.

_They are all so weak and slow,_ she mused, without a single iota of scorn for any of them.

One of her opponents struck out at her, and Rei responded with a quick swing of her sword. The ring of metal sounded across the field as the blunted practice swords met, and the force of the blow knocked the elder Amazon's sword from her hand and knocked her to the ground.

The second Amazon, attempting to capitalize on Rei's moment of distraction, led with a thrust. The Wonder Girl easily pirouetted away from the attack and countered with one of her own, being careful to moderate the amount of force she used, lest she seriously injure the other Amazon, even with the practice sword. Even so, the woman clenched her teeth, obviously in pain as she went down.

That left only one foe for Rei to face. She turned to the last remaining Amazon, who held her sword in a defensive stance.

Without hesitation, the newly minted Wonder Girl lashed out with a downwards slice. Her opponent held up her own sword in a reinforced parry to block the strike.

The ring of metal sounded again, and this time it was almost immediately joined by the sound one of the practice sword snapping in two.

Rei had won.

Again.

She turned to Queen Hippoltya and gave her a short bow, silently wondering if the monarch would finally call an end to the session.

Hippolyta shook her head. "You fight like a man," she remarked.

Just about anywhere else in the world, this would've been a compliment. On an island populated solely by warrior women, however, it was anything but.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"You met your opponents head on, overwhelming them with simple strength," Hippolyta explained. "In Patriarch's World, many would call such a straightforward approach noble. Here on Themyscria, we call it foolish."

"But it was effective," Rei argued, completely without heat, "and I do not know how else to fight."

"Then I must teach you," Hippolyta proclaimed.

The queen went over to a small pile of practice swords and grabbed two, tossing one to the Amazon whose weapon Rei had broken. The blue-haired girl took several steps away so she would not get in the way of the demonstration.

"The best way to win a battle is to avoid it entirely," Hippolyta lectured. "If you can make an enemy into an ally, you can cut off the cycle of violence while adding to your own side's strength. However, sometimes the price of this is too dear, and at other times, it is simply not an option. In any case, this is sword practice, so we will leave lessons in the art of making peace for another time."

With that, Hippolyta brandished her sword, then took a defensive stance. The trio of other Amazons took that as a sign to begin the battle, and they advanced on their queen.

At first, Hippolyta fought very cautiously, freely giving ground whenever one of her three opponents made an aggressive move and staying on the defensive herself. Rei began to wonder if the Queen of the Amazons could even win in this situation.

Then Hippolyta blocked a strike from one of the other Amazons, and, for the first time, pushed back. Normally, this would have simply forced the woman to retreat a few steps, but Hippolyta had subtly maneuvered them about so the Amazon's foot was right in front of a thick tree root. The woman tripped and went sprawling onto her back.

The other two Amazons immediately tried to capitalize upon Hippolyta's brief moment of distraction, swinging their swords out at the queen.

Hippolyta responded by ducking, catching both of her remaining two opponents by surprise. Their swords came together with a great clang, and the queen reacted before either could recovered, quickly tapping both with her own sword and winning the sparring match.

"There, do you see?" Hippolyta asked Rei. "If you can make the terrain fight for you, or turn your enemies' energies against them, then you need to expend less of your own strength."

"But it took me less time to defeat my opponents," Rei pointed out.

"Yes, but you possess the powers of the Wonder Girl," Hippolyta pointed out. "I am not nearly as fast or as strong as you are, but I was able to win. Here on Themyscria, we do not have an opponent who is your equal, but you will encounter dangerous foes once you leave here. You must know how to deal with situations where the odds are not in your favor."

Rei nodded. "I understand," she said.

"Good," Hippolyta tossed the blue-haired girl the practice sword she held, then retreated several steps away. "Again."

* * *

Recalling the Amazon Queen's advice, Wonder Girl's eyes darted around the throne room. There was little in the terrain of the place that seemed likely to help her; aside from the thrones upon which Hades and Persephone sat, the massive chamber was a featureless box.

_But turning my enemies' energies against one another…_

Struck by a sudden burst of inspiration, Wonder Girl abruptly flew toward Shamshel, performing an elaborate series of loops before its face, doing her best to provoke it.

As it was already doing its best to kill her, this wasn't exactly difficult. The Angel struck out with its remaining energy whip, vigorously attempting to hit the Amazon again.

This time, though, she was expecting it, and she dodged, heading for the nearest other Angel, which happened to be Sachiel. The pink energy whip struck the Third Angel with a loud crack, raking across its face and body, leaving a deep crack in the bird-like plate of bone. The lanky Angel released a loud howl of pain and went staggering, crashing directly into Israfel.

_Once you have knocked your enemy off-balance, do everything you can to prevent them from regaining it,_ Wonder Girl recalled one of Athena's nuggets of wisdom.

She flew toward the staggering Seventh Angel, grabbing its arm. Even at it thinnest part, the Angel's limb was as thick as a 200-year-old oak tree; she had no hope of encircling it with her arms. But she grabbed it as tightly as she could and swung the Angel, redirecting its course until it collapsed into Sandalphon. Its flesh combusted the moment it made contact with its fiery sibling.

Intent on keeping up the pressure, the Amazon flew toward Matarael, doing her best to make herself a target of the arachnid Angel.

It worked. The Eighth Angel fired multiple jets of acid at her, which Wonder Girl deftly avoided, veering toward the burning, entangled forms of Sandalphon and Israfel.

Both Angels howled in pain as the deadly acid cascaded over them, much of it instantly vaporizing and turning into acrid brown steam as it touched the flames. The Amazon's eyes widened as she watched the corrosive liquid eat away at their bodies, appalled despite herself. She'd known that Matarael's acid was very powerful, but she'd had no idea it would eat away at living flesh like that.

The room filled with bright purple light just as the cries of the two Angels were dying out. Wonder Girl turned her head to the side to see Ramiel readying another shot of its energy weapon.

This time, she was able to zip out of the way of the attack, but the immensely powerful energy beam began to follow her around the room, like the world's deadliest strobe light.

A tiny, wicked smile appeared on Wonder Girl's face, and she flew toward the area where Shamshel and Sachiel were standing. At first the pair of Angels moved as though to attack her, but then they realized what she intended to do. They scrambled to get out of the way of their impending doom, but it was too late. They were vaporized instantly by the beam. And still, the Fifth Angel continued to fire, allowing Wonder Girl to repeat the process with Matarel.

Which left only Ramiel.

"Well done, Wonder Girl!" Hades called from his throne. "Well done, indeed! You've come much further in this challenge than I expected you to, but you cannot get the Angel of Thunder to attack itself."

The Amazon grimaced, knowing that he was correct. Destroying the Fifth Angel would take a more direct approach.

She flew toward it, being careful to avoid any of the points. _It is a long range attacker by nature,_ she thought. _Perhaps if I fight it at melee range…_

Arriving at the middle of one of the Angel's eight sides, Wonder Girl fired a punch at the blue, crystalline material that made up its body. The entire throne room seemed to shake with the force of the blow, and an impressive network of cracks formed in the Angel's side. She was nowhere near the center of the thing yet, but if she kept this up…

Then the Angel began to heal, the cracks shrinking and closing up right before her eyes. Alarmed, Wonder Girl struck the Angel again and again, desperately trying to reach the core. However, she could barely damage the beast faster than it could heal itself. At this rate, it could easily take her hours, if not days, to reach the Angel's only vulnerable part.

The normally quiet and subdued girl could barely restrain herself from screaming with frustration. Perhaps if she hadn't had to fight so long and so hard to just reach this point, perhaps if she wasn't in a place that seemed determined to suck all the life and vitality right out of her, she would have been equal to the challenge. Her blows would've hit harder, and the prospect of such a long struggle would have seemed far more doable.

As it was, though, the task before her now felt more impossible than it ever had.

_Do not give into despair,_ she told herself. _That path always leads to defeat._

She needed another tactic, but what? She could not defeat Ramiel the way she had defeated the other Angels, not when it was her last enemy. There was nothing in the throne room capable of destroying it.

_Except…_

Wonder Girl abruptly pulled back from the Angel, watching as the cracks in its side completely closed themselves up. As soon as she was far enough away for it to target her, purple light bloomed into existence at one of the points of the diamond-shaped creature.

_I must time this exactly right,_ she thought, clenching her jaw as she watch the light grow more intense.

An instant before the Angel fired, she surged toward it, landing one monumental punch near the point of discharge with all her remaining strength and causing the Angel to turn, shifting its aim.

A blindingly bright blast of violet light streaked directly toward Hades, who cried out in the surprise and anger. A shield of pure darkness materialized before him an instant before the attack reached him, but the hastily thrown up barrier buckled almost immediately beneath the assault, and Hades was bathed in deadly radiance.

For a brief, surreal moment, the Amazon thought that she might have made the Angel kill the god. Then a wave of blackness swept through the throne room, washing over Ramiel. At first, it seemed as though nothing had happened to it, but the effects of the attack quickly began to tell. The Angel started to fall apart, massive chunks of its body raining down and cracking the stone floor. Within moments, it was nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Silence rang in the massive throne room, but only briefly.

_"You!"_ Hades roared, looking none the worse for the wear and pointing a black sword at her. _"I should kill you, Amazon!"_

"You cannot," Wonder Girl said coolly. "I never attacked you."

For a long, very tense moment, Hades looked ready to try, anyway, ancient rules or no. Then the god abruptly threw his head back and laughed for several seconds. The Amazon soon began to wonder if he had gone insane.

"Clever, Wonder Girl, I must admit. Very clever," Hades finally spoke. "The Amazons' reputation is well earned. Fine. It appears that you have defeated my challenge."

He snapped his fingers, and Athena's chains fell of her, clattering to the floor. The goddess of wisdom stood, looking surprised.

"That is it?" Wonder Girl asked, not quite trusting this abrupt turn around.

Hades simply gestured to the unbound Athena by way of answering. "When you leave here, follow the Styx. That will eventually lead you back to the living world.

Still wary, the Amazon flew toward them, scooping up the goddess in her arms. "Come, let us leave," she said.

"The sooner the better," Athena replied.

Carrying Athena with her, Wonder Girl flew out of the palace. She soon found the River Styx and began to follow it as Hades had instructed her.

"You should not have come for me," Athena said, once they had put some distance between themselves and Hades. "It was too dangerous an undertaking. You could have been killed."

The ghost of a smile appeared on the superwoman's face. "Aphrodite asked me to give you a smack if you said that," she informed her.

"You wouldn't," Athena said.

"No," Wonder Girl agreed. "However, I believe that she might. At best, she will want to have words with you."

"That is…not surprising," Athena admitted. "Hades' reaction to your victory, on the other hand, _was_ surprising. I have known him for untold eons, and yet this is the first time I have ever seen him lose gracefully."

Wonder Girl just made a small noise of agreement in response. She was also disturbed by that, but she had no idea what sort of trick Hades might have in store for them. He had sworn upon the River Styx that she could leave with Athena if she defeated all the Angels that had fallen to the Evangelions in combat, and—

Wonder Girl gasped, realization hitting her like a bolt of lightning.

"What?" Athena demanded.

Before she could speak a single word, Gaghiel, the Sixth Angel, burst out of the River Styx, its massive jaw opened wide. Wonder Girl did her best to dodge, but the vaguely shark-like beast had leapt out of the inky stream right behind them, and it was truly enormous. Its mouth snapped shut, with them inside.

Light was sparse inside the beast's mouth, with only a little seeping in between its teeth, and the place smelled absolutely _horrible_, like a combination of blood and rotten fish. For several, terrifying seconds, Wonder Girl and Athena were tossed wildly about the damp space before the Amazon managed to stabilize her flight.

"One Angel left," Wonder Girl explained belatedly, shifting the goddess's weight to her left arm so she could draw her sword with her right.

"Do _not_ touch the water of the Styx," Athena warned her sharply, before she could move to attack. "If a mortal comes into contact with it, she will be forever changed. And believe me, the change is _not_ a positive one."

The Champion of the Amazon glanced down at the ruby sphere that was located at the back of the Angel's throat. It was already completely submerged, and the water level inside the Angel's mouth was rising fast. It was apparently diving deeper into the river.

This time, the Amazon _had_ to go for the direct approach, and she knew it.

"Hold onto me," Wonder Girl directed the goddess, sheathing her sword. "I need both arms for this."

Athena quickly wrapped her arms around the Amazon's neck, and Wonder Girl released her grip on the goddess, flying up to the roof of the Angel's mouth. Wonder Girl pressed her palms against it, grimacing at the slick, slimy feel of the thing's flesh, then began to press upwards.

Superhuman but very tired muscles strained, and there was a terrible moment where Wonder Girl thought that her efforts would be all for naught, that her powers weren't equal to the task.

Then the Angel began to rise, and the water started to flow out of its mouth rather than in as she got it above the surface of the river. She steered it over to the side, having to guess at the distance to the shore.

At last, she dropped the Angel, being careful to fall with it rather than to allow it to crash into her, and judging by how it landed with a meaty thud rather than a splash, it was safe to say that she'd successfully beached the beast.

And if the way the cavern of the Angel's mouth was convulsing was any indication, Gaghiel was flopping around on the ground _exactly_ like a fish out of water.

Athena released her grip before Wonder Girl could ask her to, and the goddess landed harmlessly on the Angel's tongue.

The Amazon…tried very hard not to contemplate what that would feel like as she drew her sword and flew toward the core.

_Finally,_ she thought, feeling more relieved than triumphant as she stabbed the ruby sphere with her sword. Beams of intense white light began to stream out of the cracks she had created.

The core exploded, flooding the inside of the Angel's mouth with radiance, like a lightning bolt momentarily illuminating the night sky. Wonder Girl yelped as she was thrown away from it, eventually landing right on the Angel's tongue.

It felt every bit as disgusting as she had expected.

Then Athena was standing over her, offering her a hand up. Wonder Girl accepted it, and the goddess pulled her to her feet.

"_Now_ Hades is probably in true ill-temper," Athena said. "Come, my champion, let us leave this horrible place."

* * *

With Hades' challenge truly defeated at last, leaving the Underworld proved to be a mercifully simple task, and it wasn't long before Wonder Girl and Athena made it back to the apartment Rei Ayanami called home.

For her own part, Wonder Girl wanted nothing more than to remove her costume, take a long shower, and then sleep. She didn't think she'd ever felt quite so drained before, and she knew that if she had, it had been before she'd gained her Amazonian powers.

Yet the goddess lingered, appearing unusually awkward. When she spoke, it was not in the cool, self-assured tone that Wonder Girl was used to hearing from Athena.

"You have done well, my Wonder Girl," she said. "Though I would not have asked you to come after me, I am glad that you did. I am…I am proud of you."

"Thank you," the Amazon said softly, surprised at how much pleasure she took from hearing the goddess say that. "But why did you attempt to invade the Underworld to begin with? Surely you knew what that it was unlikely to end well."

"I felt it was necessary," Athena said, as though that explained everything, and suddenly she was acting like herself again. "I must return to Olympus now." She added, before Wonder Girl could ask her anything else.

With that, she headed for the door to the apartment and walked out. The Amazon had no doubt that if she rushed to follow her, she would discover that Athena had simply disappeared.

"The _nerve_ of that woman!"

Wonder Girl jumped, her hand automatically going to her sword as she spun around to face the person emerging from her bathroom. The Amazon immediately relaxed when she saw it was Aphrodite. Even though she was clearly furious, the love goddess was still looking every bit as flawless as usual, a far cry from the way she had appeared when Wonder Girl had last seen her.

"I mean, honestly!" Aphrodite continued to rant. "She pulls this incredibly stupid move, you jump through hoops to fix her mistake, and when you ask her why she did it, her answer is 'I felt it was necessary'? Oh no, that's not going to fly. I am going back to Olympus, and I am going to have a long talk with the old owl!"

Wonder Girl arched an eyebrow. She had no doubt that Aphrodite would confront Athena, but it seemed unlikely that a love goddess would be able to force a war goddess into divulging any information she wanted to keep to herself. However, that wasn't really her chief concern at the moment.

"How long have you been in there?" she asked, gesturing toward her bathroom.

Aphrodite looked back toward the blue-haired girl's tiny washroom, and most of her anger seemed to leave her all at once. "Long enough," she answered vaguely.

"I see," the Amazon replied, wondering if Aphrodite had ridden out the whole ordeal by cowering in her dirty shower stall.

"Well, I'm sure you're exhausted after the day you've had," Aphrodite said. "I'll just go so you can get some rest."

"Please, wait," Wonder Girl said, causing the love goddess to halt. "I need your advice."

Aphrodite smiled. "Of course," she agreed. "That's what I'm here for. What's the problem?"

Wonder Girl didn't answer immediately, finding it surprisingly hard to speak about the issue that had been on her mind for days now, even with Aphrodite. "Shinji thinks I'm ugly," she confessed at last.

Aphrodite blinked, surprised. "Where in the world did you get that idea from, Rei?" she asked.

The blue-haired girl quickly recounted the conversation she'd had with the Third Child about the city's superwomen, and how Shinji had said he didn't find either of them all that attractive.

"Oh, Rei, is that what's bothering you?" Aphrodite asked with an amused chuckle.

Wonder Girl couldn't believe how lightly the love goddess was treating this. She had feelings for Shinji. Powerful, frightening, wonderful feelings. To learn that he did not feel the same way about her hurt in a way that she had never experienced before and didn't know how to deal with.

"What is the point of all our efforts to form a relationship between myself and Shinji if he isn't attracted to me at all?" she asked, silently adding that she wasn't sure _why_ she was still helping the Olympians if she couldn't be with the younger Ikari. "We are friends, but I have realized that is not enough for me."

Aphrodite put a finger to Wonder Girl's lips to silence her. "Calm yourself, Rei," she said gently. "Your Shinji is very attracted to you, I guarantee it."

"But he told me—"

"He told Rei Ayanami that he was not attracted to Wonder Girl," Aphrodite said. "If you had asked him if he was attracted to _you_, well, you probably would've gotten a lot of blushing and stammering, but he would've said 'yes' in the end."

"I do not understand," the blue-haired girl protested. "Why would that make a difference? I am Wonder Girl."

Aphrodite sighed. "I forget how naïve you still are sometimes," she said. "Rei, men don't tell women they're in a romantic relationship with—or want to be in a romantic relationship with—that they're attracted to other women. It usually inspires jealously and is considered extremely uncouth. Shinji, despite his lack of experience with women, was aware that it's just not done, so he claimed that he doesn't find Wonder Girl attractive. Nevertheless, I'm quite certain he thinks you're beautiful, both in the leotard and out of it." She added with a mischievous grin.

Wonder Girl blinked. "It is considered good etiquette for men to lie to the women they are in relationships with?" she asked.

Aphrodite looked nonplussed by the question. "'Lie' is too strong a word, Rei," she said. "After all, beauty is a very subjective thing. It is not as though there will ever be evidence of such a mistruth, unless of course the man has an affair with a woman he claimed to find unattractive. In which case, no one in involved will consider the lie to be the main issue." She added, almost as an afterthought.

"But just because there is no evidence of dishonesty does not mean it isn't there," Wonder Girl protested, feeling more and more confused. "If a man finds a woman attractive and says he does not, then that is a lie."

"More like a harmless fib, really…"

"But you told me that lovers should try to be open and honest with each other," Wonder Girl pointed out.

"Did I say that?" Aphrodite asked innocent, but relented when the Amazon gave her a look. "Yes, I suppose I did. Listen, Rei, the relationships between men and woman can be very…intricate things at times. Sometimes, little white lies are necessary."

"I do not understand," Wonder Girl said, shaking her head helplessly.

Aphrodite sighed. "Okay, let's try a hypothetical. Say you and Shinji officially become a couple. He is your boyfriend, and you are his girlfriend," she said. "Would you like it if he was frequently making remarks about how attractive he finds other women?"

Wonder Girl frowned. "No."

"Not at all, I'd bet," Aphrodite agreed, shaking her head. "You'd probably get very annoyed with it, very quickly. It might even make you afraid that he was going to break off the relationship. You might become angry with him for making you feel these fears."

"Perhaps," Wonder Girl admitted.

"Well, here's the thing. Your Shinji's a healthy young man. Even if you're the one he loves and wants to be with, he doesn't become blind to other women the instant you share your first kiss," Aphrodite said. "But because he doesn't want to distress you or jeopardize the relationship, he'll pretend otherwise, even if that means telling the occasional fib."

Wonder Girl supposed it made sense, when put that way. However, that it was considered normal—good manners, even—for people to lie to their significant others was something she still had difficulty wrapping her mind around. She found it somewhat disturbing, really.

"Romance is extremely complicated," she remarked.

Aphrodite laughed. "That's what make it so much fun," she said.

"I am not sure I would call it fun," Wonder Girl said.

"Well, I didn't say the complexity was fun for _you_," Aphrodite said with a grin. Then she seemed to grow more serious. "But we're wandering away from the original issue here. Have I put your mind at ease on this matter, Rei?"

"I am not sure," Wonder Girl confessed, keeping it to herself that she still had significant doubts about the love goddess's logic.

"In that case, why don't we put the philosophy to rest and just prove that Shinji finds you attractive?" Aphrodite asked.

"How do I do that?" Wonder Girl asked.

A small object appeared in the goddess's hand. Well, technically two small objects. "With this," Aphrodite answered, grinning.

"Is it enchanted?" Wonder Girl asked.

The goddess's grin widened. "It doesn't have to be."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Action, action, and more action here. Now if only Rei's character allowed for something resembling witty banter and quips, we'd be all set. Something about Rei's conversation with Aphrodite didn't feel quite right to me, but I couldn't seem to get it right.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.

Omake

* * *

Attack of the Killer Tofu

"How long have you been in there?" she asked, gesturing toward her bathroom.

Aphrodite looked back toward the blue-haired girl's tiny washroom, and most of her anger seemed to leave her all at once. "Long enough," she answered vaguely.

"I see," the Amazon replied, wondering if Aphrodite had ridden out the whole ordeal by cowering in her dirty shower stall. "I must ask, why the bathroom? Wouldn't the main room have been more comfortable?"

"Just between you and me, Rei, you really need to clean out your fridge," Aphrodite said. "Some of those veggies have _definitely_ gone bad, and I swear to Zeus that block of tofu in there bit me!"

Wonder Girl pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd wanted to talk to the love goddess for some time now, but at the current moment…

"You know what?" she said. "Just go. I need to sleep."

"See ya," Aphrodite said cheerfully.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it and am making no profit off this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: **Laying Groundwork

Takai Banryu usually didn't frequent the slums of Tokyo-3, or any other slums for that matter. The son of Hades liked to think of himself as high class individual, and unlike other demigods he could name, he didn't enjoy venturing into dangerous areas just so he could pick a fight.

Currently, however, he needed to perform some research, and the streets of the city's slums were the only place where he could do it.

Keeping to the shadows, Takai watched silently as a large man brandished a knife at a young woman. "Give me your purse, lady," he demanded. "Now."

He neglected to add an "or else" but it was obviously implied. From his observation point, Takai could only smirk at how cliché the whole scene was.

Whimpering in terror, the young woman clutched her hand bag to her chest protectively. "Please, don't do this," she begged. "If I lose the money I have in here, I won't be able to pay this month's rent on my apartment."

"Not my problem," the man said. "Hand it over." He added, waving the knife dangerously close to the woman's face and causing her to flinch back.

With a grimace, the woman slowly loosened her hold on her purse. Before she could actually pass it to the man, however, she stopped, her face lighting up as though she'd just won the lottery.

The would-be thief frowned in confusion. "What the hell are you—?"

Before he could make it any further, a pair of small but very powerful hands grabbed the back of his shirt and his belt. With one smooth motion, Wonder Girl easily lifted the much larger man over her head and then tossed him onto a pile of black garbage bags that someone had abandoned on the curb.

Spotting his nemesis, Takai withdrew a little further back into the shadows. While there was little chance of her recognizing him without his Dark Centurion armor, he still didn't want to be seen. It wouldn't do to have her realize he was following her.

"Stealing is wrong," the blue-haired superwoman said to the mugger in her placid voice. "Doubly so when it will render someone homeless."

"Go to hell, bitch!" the thief snapped, springing to his feet.

He charged toward Wonder Girl, the blade of his knife flashing in the midday sun. The Amazon looked decidedly unimpressed.

"Are you unaware of my reputation, or do you chose not believe it?" she inquired, using deft, minimal movements to dodge the slashes of the mugger's knife.

"Shut up," the man growled, attacking her with increasing ferocity.

"I suppose it is irrelevant," Wonder Girl conceded.

With that, the superwoman reached out, almost casually, and caught the wrist of the man's knife hand, stopping his arm cold.

"Ahh!" he hissed in pain as she started to apply more and more pressure.

Finally, his fingers went limp, and the knife fell from his grasp, clattering to the sidewalk at his feet.

With a tiny nod of satisfaction, Wonder Girl balled her free hand into a fist, which she sent flying right into the mugger's stomach. The man's eyes bugged out as he doubled over, mouth gaping as he attempted to let loose a scream he suddenly had no breath for.

Spying two long pieces of metal lying among the pile of trash she had thrown the would-be thief into, Wonder Girl picked them up. Bending them as easily as if they were pipe cleaners, she wrapped one around the man's arms and torso, while the second went around his legs. Still in agony from her punch, the thief never ever attempted to resist being bound.

With the mugger safely and very securely restrained, Wonder Girl walked over to the young woman, who was gazing at the Amazon in awe. "Are you unharmed?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks to you," the woman answered, bowing formally. "You saved my home. Or my life."

"I suggest you call the police so they can come and apprehend this man," Wonder Girl said.

"It would be my pleasure," the woman grinned, taking out a cell phone.

With a small nod, Wonder Girl took to the air. Not wishing to lose her, Takai concentrated, and his body became one with the gloom he'd been using to conceal himself. A moment later, he emerged on a rooftop, in the shadow of a large air conditioning unit. Looking up, he saw Wonder Girl rising higher and higher in the sky as she headed in the direction of NERV headquarters and the city's more upscale areas.

_Must be done for the day,_ he concluded.

Satisfied, Takai reached into his pocket and withdrew a small notebook, where he recorded the times and locations of that day's Wonder Girl sightings.

He had been at this for some time now, and easily identifiable patterns had quickly emerged. On weekdays, the Amazon patrolled the slums during the early mornings and evenings, presumably performing her superhero activities around school and possibly clubs. On weekends, she could always been seen in the skies above the bad part of Tokyo-3 in the afternoon.

"Like clockwork," he said to himself in satisfaction. "At least this part of my plan won't be hard to time correctly."

* * *

Meanwhile, blissfully unaware that she was being watched, Wonder Girl flew through the sky toward NERV headquarters.

In truth, part of the Amazon wondered why she still bothered to patrol the streets of Tokyo-3. Athena had initially suggested that she do such in order to better hone her skills and gain greater control of her superhuman strength. However, the blue-haired superwoman felt that she had learned all she could from stopping petty criminals.

Yet she continued on, anyway, because she found that she had grown to enjoy it. Helping people in trouble made her feel good. It brought her…satisfaction.

Which, unfortunately, didn't mean she could spend all day it. Wonder Girl's calendar might have been clear, but Rei Ayanami was supposed to meet with Shinji that afternoon at the NERV rec. center.

It was most fortunate for the pilots that the Eleventh Angel had struck at the MAGI, and that the Evangelions had not been necessary to defeat it. Normally after a battle, they had to endure a battery of tests which took up all their spare time. For once, though, it was Technical Division One that was stuck dealing with the entire aftermath of the latest battle.

Coming down for a landing a few blocks away from NERV headquarters, Wonder Girl headed to the place where she'd hidden the duffel containing her regular clothes and changed. Leaving her leotard in the hiding spot, she took the bag, which now held only her swimwear, and set out on foot for her destination.

A few minutes later, Rei arrived at the pool room in the NERV rec. center, the familiar smell of chlorine and the feel of humid air meeting her as she entered. As usual, the place was nearly deserted, with only Shinji in the water. The pilot of Unit One was currently doing laps in the pool, and Rei took a moment to silently admire his graceful strokes—which were such a stark contrast to the clumsily flailing he'd displayed when she'd first started teaching him to swim—as well as his increasingly powerful physique.

With his whole focus apparently on swimming, Shinji didn't notice her, and so Rei silently slipped into the women's locker room, where she quickly undressed, feeling anxiety rising up within her.

Normally, the thought of swimming with Shinji didn't make her nervous; she did it all the time, after all. That day, though, it was time to put Aphrodite's little gift to the test.

* * *

If Shinji had told someone that he was surprised at how much he'd come to enjoy swimming, he would have been making a massive understatement. He was frankly _stunned_ that he'd come to actually love swimming.

For almost as long he could remember, he had been afraid of the water. Shinji had always been of the opinion that people weren't meant to float, and that if humans were supposed to swim, they would've been born with gills. He'd agreed to let Rei teach him only because he couldn't figure out a way to get out of it.

Yet now that he'd mastered it, he found that the feel of knifing through the water was surprisingly addictive and relaxing. And it was so easy now! He hadn't truly worried that he might drown for weeks and weeks, and he could swim far more laps than he could when he'd started.

_I must be in almost as good shape as Toji is,_ he thought with some satisfaction.

Unfortunately, his increasing level of skill and stamina worked against him in one regard. When he'd first started doing laps, he hadn't been able to think about much else besides maintaining his rhythm and trying to ignore his fatigue. Now that he wasn't so easily tired and his body swam largely on automatic, his mind was able to wander.

So, he found his thoughts inevitably drifted back to the subject he'd been fixated upon for the last several days, namely the upcoming anniversary of his mother's death. In the past, it had been…customary for he and his father to meet during that day at Yui Ikari's grave.

Then, three years ago, their graveyard conversation, which was awkward every year, had gone worse than usual, to put it mildly. Shinji had run off, his father had not followed, and they hadn't seen one another again until the day the Third Angel had arrived in Tokyo-3.

This year, with him actually living in Tokyo-3 and seeing his father on a more or less regular basis, Shinji didn't see how he could get out of going again. However, that didn't mean he was looking forward to it. Indeed, he dreaded it more than the next, inevitable Angel battle, which he highly doubted would be handled entirely by Ritsuko and her underlings as the last one had been.

_Geeze, stop torturing yourself over this already. Worrying about it all the time won't help anything,_ he told himself sternly.

Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.

Before he could really start fretting about his upcoming visit to the cemetery, he happened to spy something blue above him.

_Rei must be here,_ he thought, happy to see her and happy to have some sort of distraction from his thoughts. Breaking his rhythm, he broke through the surface of the water and took a deep breath. Rubbing his eyes to get the water out (he really needed to get some goggles if he was going to continue spending so much time in the pool), he turned to look at Rei, about to say hello.

Only to have the words die unspoken in his throat.

Rei was wearing a blue bikini.

It was relatively modest, at least so far as bikinis went; certainly she wasn't one false move away from any sort of wardrobe malfunction. And it wasn't as though her one piece school-issued swimsuit left _that_ much more to the imagination, especially when it got wet and started clinging to her.

Yet seeing _that_ much more of Rei's perfect, alabaster skin than he was used to made still him lightheaded.

It also made him forget to keep kicking his legs. Since Shinji was currently in the deep end, this resulted in him instantly sinking like a stone. Before he even realized what was happening, the Third Cjild found himself inhaling water for the first time in over a month.

In a flash, Rei dived into the water and was right next to him, grabbing hold of him and pushing upwards before he could get himself back above the surface.

"Th-thank you," he coughed.

"What happened?" Rei asked, concerned.

"Uh…" Shinji stammered, desperately trying to come up with some answer other than the truth. Namely, that he'd caught sight of a _very_ attractive, bikini-clad girl, and his brain had briefly ceased functioning as a result.

The fact that said girl was right next to him, and was in fact touching him (albeit in an entirely chase manner), wasn't helping him think at all.

"I, um, I guess I just got distracted," he said lamely. "Uh, you look nice today, Rei." He added without thinking.

For a second after letting the words pass his lips, Shinji wanted to punch himself for how dumb he must've sounded there. However, Rei blinked, looking understandably surprised, before a tiny smile made its way to her face.

Shinji didn't think he'd ever seen her looking quite so happy before, and he had to admit that the delicate pink hue that had bloomed in her pale cheeks made her look especially cute…

He realized too late that he'd stopped kicking his legs again and once more sank beneath the surface of the water.

"Are you sure your are all right?" Rei asked, as she pulled him up a second time.

"Sure, sure," he reassured, even though he could feel his face heating up. "Why would you think anything was wrong?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dingy apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo-3, the Cheetah sat at a small table, pondering over the artifact she had stolen from a warehouse weeks ago now.

Back when she'd taken it, she had, in all honesty, expected to have the glyphs translated within a few days. However, they'd been in a dialect she wasn't familiar with, and time had taken its toll on the quality of the writing.

Yet she'd persevered, as she always did, and she was nearly ready to make her move against Wonder Girl.

Of course, she'd be _completely_ ready at this point, but…

"Damned thing," the Cheetah growled, looking rather hatefully at the artifact on the table, which resembled nothing so much as an ancient stone jar with elaborate drawings and sigils painted all over it.

For one thing, she'd expected that the artifact would grant whoever used it great power. That much was true, but the price involved was dear, too dear for her to pay herself. While she had a plan to get around this, it was still a disappointment.

The second issue was, well, the artifact didn't work for everyone, and she wasn't entirely sure what criteria a person had to meet to make it trigger.

Once again, the feline woman briefly considered giving up on her quest and returning home, before once again rejecting the idea.

"I didn't come this far to go home now," she grumbled to herself, picking up the jar. "Once I find someone that this stupid thing will work for, I'll have Wonder Girl's golden lasso, and her head, too."

* * *

A few days later found Rei at the school after dismissal, since she happened to be on clean-up duty.

After having been spirited away to an island populated by Amazons, done battle with demigods and Angels, and having piloted a giant robot, most people would have considered scrubbing the classroom windows to be about the dullest task in the world. Rei, however, had always been more or less immune to boredom, and even everything she'd been through over the past few months hadn't changed that. Indeed, the First Child found she actually enjoyed the cleaning now, where before she had had little opinion of the job at all. It was a familiar and welcome reprieve from all the combat and uncertainty.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head just enough to see Shinji sweeping the floor. A small smile appeared on her face.

Though Rei was still far from skilled at reading people's reactions, Shinji's reaction to the sight of her in Aphrodite's "gift" had been…less than difficult to interpret.

The love goddess had already appeared to visit the First Child since then, full of talk about "kicking things up a notch" and "sealing the deal". Rei was not against any of these measures, but for the moment she was just pleased that Shinji was (at least) as attracted to her as she was to him.

_It feels…good to be wanted,_ she decided, her smile widening.

A few minutes passed in this quiet serenity, with Rei methodically making her way from one side of the room to the other as she scrubbed the windows.

Then Shinji departed from the classroom, heading out to sweep the floor in the hallway. The moment he was out the door, Hikari, who also had cleaning duty that afternoon, pounced.

"Hello, Rei," the pig-tailed girl said, her tone of voice just a little bit _too_ cheerful.

"What can I do for you, Horaki?" the First Child asked, not looking away from the window she was cleaning.

"Ah, it's funny you should ask that, actually," the class rep said, a large, plastic smile glued to her face. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Rei's eyebrows went up, albeit very slightly. It was unusual for Hikari to make requests of people, at least in her experience. "If I can, I will try to oblige you," she said.

Hikari nodded. "Thank you," she said.

"It is premature to thank me," Rei pointed out. "I have not agreed to anything yet, because you have not told me what you want."

"Right, right, of course," Hikari said. "As to that, I was wondering if you'd be willing to go out on a blind with a friend of my older sister."

That made Rei stop scrubbing and look at the class rep. "What?" she asked.

"I've met him myself," Hikari rushed to add. "He's a very nice young man, very polite and respectful. And he's a med student, a real go-getter. Pretty cute, too, in my opinion."

"But…why?" Rei asked, wondering what on Earth had motivated Hikari to try and set this up.

She didn't know a whole lot about the etiquette surrounding blind dates, but she and Hikari barely ever spoke. When they did, it was only as required by their mutual presence in class and the pig-tailed girl's duties therein. It seemed very odd for Hikari to set up such a thing for someone she had such a passing acquaintance with.

"My older sister sort of…told this guy she could get him a date with one of the Evangelion pilots," Hikari confessed guiltily. "I'd ask Asuka, but she's got a boyfriend! Please, Rei, you're my sister's only hope for avoiding complete humiliation!"

"I am…unsure," the First Child said hesitantly, dearly wishing that she could speak to Aphrodite about this.

She had come to enjoy helping people, and if she could take the time to assist various individuals she had never met before as Wonder Girl, it seemed…wrong to refuse an acquaintance's plea for help.

On the other hand, the First Child had a sneaking suspicion that there just _might_ be repercussions to going on this blind date.

"Rei, I swear, it can be a one time thing. You'll never have to see this guy again if you don't like him. Please, I…I'll do anything you want if you do this," Hikari practically begged.

The blue-haired finally relented. "That will not be necessary," she said. "I will go on this blind date."

"Oh, thank you, Rei! Thanks so much!" Hikari said, clearly relieved.

She gave the First Child a deep bow of gratitude, then quickly scampered out of the classroom, as though afraid that Rei would change her mind if given half a minute to think about it.

A moment later, Shinji walked back into the classroom, looking curious and mildly confused. "What was all that about?" he asked, apparently having heard the noise from the class rep's hasty retreat.

"Horaki asked me to accompany a friend of her sister's on a blind date this weekend," she said. "I accepted."

The broom Shinji had been holding suddenly clattered to the floor as he abruptly lost his grip on it. "You did what?" he gasped.

"Does this displease you?" Rei asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Displease me?" Shinji asked, trying and failing to regain his composure as he scrambled to pick up the broom.

"No, not at all. Why should it? You're free to date whoever you want, of course."

Though she was still far from an expert at human emotional displays, it was obvious even to Rei that he was being less than honest. However, she wasn't sure how she could successfully confront him about it. Without proof of his dishonesty, Shinji could just continue to insist that he wasn't bothered in the slightest.

"All right, then," she finally said, at last getting back to the task of scrubbing the classroom windows.

Shinji hesitated for a long moment, so long that Rei almost turned and asked if there was something he wanted. Just before she did so, however, he turned and trudged back out to the hallway, broom in hand.

The blue-haired girl was unsurprised when Miki Tanaka, one of the most attractive female students in the school, entering the room a few minutes later, even though she didn't have cleaning duty that day.

"Aphrodite," she greeted.

"Right in one," the love goddess replied, sounding far too cheerful, in Rei's opinion.

"So, you are here to help me fix this situation?" Rei asked.

Aphrodite blinked, looking genuinely surprised. "Fix it?" she asked. "I came to congratulate you!"

"Congratulate me?" Rei echoed incredulously. "What for? I do not want to go on this blind date, and by accepting it, I have upset Shinji."

"Yes, but you upset him in a very specific and…_productive_ way," Aphrodite explained, her grin widening.

Rei frowned. "I do not understand."

"You made him _jealous_," the love goddess stated bluntly. "Which, in this case, could be very good for you. Make your little Shinji realize that unless he makes a move soon, he might end up losing you to someone else."

"But I have no interest in this blind date," Rei protested. "I am doing it solely as a favor to Horaki."

Aphrodite shook a finger. "That's not even the real point, my student," she said in a sagely tone. "The point is that Shinji's just gotten a reminder that you're a desirable young woman, and that if he drags his feet for too much longer, he may lose you."

Rei frowned. "This…feels manipulative."

"And why is that?" Aphrodite asked. "All you did was agree to help a friend. If your Shinji draws conclusions based on that...and it leads to him making a move, then what's the harm? Are you accountable for what goes on inside his head? Is it your responsibility to explain the reasons behind your every action to him?"

The blue-haired girl's frown only deepened, though. She couldn't quite find a flaw in the goddess's logic, but it still _felt_ wrong to her.

"Look, just trust me here, okay, Rei?" Aphrodite said, her voice more gentle and less jovial than it had been a moment ago. "I get that you don't want to hurt him or mess with his head, and that's a good thing. It means you care for him. But this is really quite harmless, and something good may come of it."

"I don't know…" Rei said.

"If it bothers you that much, then once your blind date has passed, you can tell Shinji you didn't enjoy it, and you don't plan to see that man again. That should put his mind at ease," Aphrodite said. "Besides, how would you get out of the blind date now, anyway?"

On that issue, at least, Rei had to admit the goddess had a very good point. She _had_ given the class rep her word, after all. Indeed, if not for the love goddess's own intervention, she never would have even considered trying to call it off.

"Very well," she gave in at last.

"Beautiful," Aphrodite said. "Good luck, Rei."

* * *

"More wine?" Takai asked, holding up the bottle.

"Thank you," Asuka replied with a smile, and he poured for her.

The two were sitting in a small but extremely nice restaurant, which Takai had discovered a few days ago. Unlike the last time he'd managed to get them served wine, he didn't even attempt to keep up with her. As a result, Asuka had already drained most of the bottle, and she wasn't showing any sign that she was even slightly tipsy.

Takai politely made a point of not mentioning this. Yet even though he now knew _why_ his girlfriend was able to consume so much wine without any ill effects, a part of him couldn't help but marvel at it.

"This is a great place you found," Asuka said after taking a sip from her wineglass.

"What can I say? I apparently have a talent for finding real gems," he replied, smiling slyly at her.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Tell me, do you write your own material, or do you just get it all out Hallmark cards?" she asked, but there was a noticeable blush on her cheeks that had nothing to do with the wine.

"So you want me to stop saying those kinds of things?" Takai asked.

"I never said _that_," Asuka countered with a smirk, and Takai chuckled. "You know, I should thank you." She added.

He raised his eyebrows. "What for?"

"If I was unattached right now, my friend Hikari would have tried to rope me into going on some blind date today," she explained. "There's some bizarre situation where she needed to set up one of her older sister's friends with an EVA pilot. But since I'm not free, she somehow convinced Ayanami to do it."

"She's the boring one, right?" Takai asked, recalling how Asuka had described her.

The redhead laughed. "Boring doesn't even begin to describe her. She's just so empty and always does whatever she's told," she said. "Sometimes it seems like she's not even a real person. It kind of creeps me out, to tell the truth."

"Why don't we talk about something more pleasant, then? I'd hate if we ruined the evening, especially since it seems like it's been forever since we went out," Takai said. "Speaking of which, would it be possible to see you more often?"

Asuka sighed. "I wish, but my schedule's just getting more and more hectic lately."

"Is that so?" Takai asked, trying not to smile. This was exactly where he wanted the conversation to go; he needed to have a good idea of where Asuka would be at certain times if he wanted his plan to work. "Tell me about it."

* * *

The graveyard was…desolate. That was the only word that Shinji could use to describe the place. Uniform headstones jutted out of dry, dusty earth with not a bit of greenery to be seen. It seemed like he and his father were the only living things in the entire place.

That, coupled with the presence of his mother's headstone nearby, made Shinji feel intensely lonely.

"It just hasn't sunk in that Mother's resting here," the Third Child said softly as he placed a small bouquet of flowers down by the grave.

He was half surprised when they didn't shrivel up and die the moment they made contact with the barren soil.

"She's not," Gendo said.

"Huh?"

"There is no body here," his father replied. "The headstone is just decoration."

"I see," Shinji replied, then hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Do you have any pictures of her?"

"No, I destroyed them all shortly after she passed," Gendo replied.

"So, what my old guardian told me is true," Shinji said, almost more to himself than to his father. "You threw them all away."

"I keep everything I need within me," Gendo said, his tone carrying just a trace of sharpness. Despite himself, Shinji winced. "Yui taught me about the irreplaceable things. I come here to reaffirm that."

"I see," Shinji said, even though he didn't, at all.

Gendo checked his wristwatch. "It's time. I have to go."

As if on cue, a VTOL descended from the clear blue sky, somehow finding a patch of earth in the cemetery that was empty enough for it to land without damaging anything. Its engines kicked up an enormous cloud of dust.

Without a word, Gendo headed for the plane. So far as he was concerned, the visit to the gravesite with his son was functionally over, the obligation taken care of for another year.

"Father," Shinji called.

Gendo turned. "Yes?"

"I…I'm glad we had a chance to talk like this," Shinji said.

"I see," was his father's minimalist reply.

Then Gendo climbed into the VTOL, which wasted no time in taking off again, quickly becoming nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance before vanishing completely from the Third Child's view.

Now truly alone, Shinji released a gusty sigh and allowed his shoulders to slump. That had…not gone as terribly as he'd feared, but it also hadn't gone nearly as well as he'd secretly hoped.

_I guess it was just stupid of me to think that we'd actually bond somehow,_ he thought sourly as he jammed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away. _He called me to the city just so I could pilot Unit One for NERV, so why should I expect that we'd reconcile today? Hell, I don't even know why I __**want**__ to get close to him._

His thoughts continued in this vein for some time, consuming the Third Child's mind so completely that he paid little attention to where he was actually going. He observed his surroundings only enough to ensure that he wasn't run over by a car or something, making turns randomly and with no destination in mind.

_Not like I'm in any kind of hurry. Misato and Asuka won't come back to the apartment for hours,_ he mused, scowling a little as he thought about how everyone was having a much more pleasant afternoon than he was. _Even Rei has a date today._

That thought brought a grimace to his face. The specter of the First Child's blind date had been getting to him almost as much as the visit to the cemetery with his father, which was now mercifully behind him.

He really shouldn't have been so surprised to find that Rei was going out on a date. Even if Hikari had never set her up on one, it would only have been a matter of time before some other guy saw past the First Child's quietness and seeming strangeness and realized that there was a very desirable girl beneath.

Shinji heaved another loud sigh. _Whoever Rei's blind date is, he's probably better looking than I am_. _Taller, too. And it's not like it's hard to be more charming than I am…_

Within minutes, the Third Child had constructed a mental image of Rei's blind as someone who was part movie star, part Casanova, part Olympic athlete, and just generally more appealing in every way than Shinji himself was. The…improbability of this never occurred to him.

"So, what do you want to do now, Ayanami?"

Hearing the blue-haired girl's name from nearby knocked Shinji from his brooding, and he looked around, actually observing his surroundings for the first time in several minutes. He was genuinely stunned to discover that he'd wandered right into the city's amusement park, which, he knew, was where Rei's blind date was currently taking place.

Scanning the crowd, Shinji almost immediately spotted the First Child (the blue mop of hair made her virtually impossible to miss), seeing that she was in the company of a tall, rather plain-looking young man.

_I have to get out of here,_ he decided immediately, feeling dread rising up in his stomach.

Shinji was only too aware of how much it would like he was stalking Rei, if she happened to see him there.

He tried to creep away and melt into the crowd, but as Misato had once said, nothing draws attention like evasive action. Also, it didn't help that he happened to trip over his untied shoelace and very nearly went falling flat on his face.

After finally regaining his balance, he turned to look back at Rei and winced when he saw she was approaching him, with her date in tow. Shinji braced himself, both for the probable slap and the even more likely pain of her saying she didn't even want to be his friend anymore.

"Hello, Shinji-kun. What brings you here?" she asked him pleasantly, apparently oblivious to what his presence at the park looked like.

"Oh, you know," he stammered. "I was just…in the neighborhood, and I thought I'd check this place out. I've never been to it before."

It was a lie and not a very good one, at that. However, though Rei tilted to her head slightly to the side in a typically subtle gesture of confusion, it never seemed to occur to her that something nefarious might potentially be afoot. Shinji almost collapsed with relief.

"So, who's this guy?" Rei's date asked grumpily.

"Shinji-kun, this is Miyuki Tanaka, a student at Tokyo-2 Medical School," Rei introduced him. "Tanaka-kun, this is Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit One."

"Nice to meet—" Shinji began.

"Oh, god, _really?_" Miyuki asked Rei, completely ignoring the Third Child.

The blue-haired girl blinked. "What?" she asked, her expression as blank as Shinji had ever seen it.

"Don't play dumb," Miyuki growled. "It's bad enough that you've been acting like a cold fish this entire time, but you actually arranged for your boyfriend to meet you here, too? If you didn't want to go on this date, you should've just told Horaki so."

"That is not—" Rei started.

"Whatever," Miyuki said, then stomped off, leaving Shinji and Rei standing there, both of them staring stupidly after him.

The Third Child found his voice first. "I'm sorry," he said.

Rei turned her head to look at him. "For what?" she asked.

Shinji shrugged. "Well, he wouldn't have taken off if I hadn't shown up," he said, feeling a very curious mixture of guilt and relief. "I ruined your date."

She shook her head. "I don't think it was going well," she said, "and in any case, I only introduced you because I was led to believe he had an interest in EVA."

"I see," Shinji replied, not knowing what else to say.

Awkward silence lingered between them for a few seconds.

"Shinji-kun, am I a cold fish?" Rei blurted out.

He frowned. "What?"

"I didn't act any differently around Tanaka than I usually do," she explained, "and yet he referred to me as a cold fish."

"Rei…" he exhaled, not quiet sighing. "No, you're not. You're quieter than most, but I never thought you were a cold fish."

A tiny smile formed on her face, and she gave him a small, grateful nod. "Now that my blind date appears to be over, I suppose I should be heading home," she decided aloud.

"Wait a second," Shinji said, causing her to halt before she'd even really started to leave. She gave him a curious look. "Maybe you'd like to hang out here a little while longer? With me?" He added nervously.

Rei's smile widened a little bit. "I would like that," she said.

* * *

Several days later found the sky over Tokyo-3 gray and cloudy, blotting out the sun to such a degree that it was as dark as the evening hours, despite it only being late afternoon. The occasional rumble of thunder could be heard the distance, and everyone with any sense was rushing home, lest they get caught in the deluge that Mother Nature was promising.

The Dark Centurion, who was currently perched atop a three story building, had more important things to worry about than getting a little wet. After much careful preparation, he was as ready as he was ever going to be to put his plan into action. All he had to do was wait for the right moment…

Looking up, he spied Wonder Girl flying overhead, performing her usual patrol over the slums. Obviously, she wasn't afraid of a little rain, either.

"Amazon!" he roared at her, unleashing a blast of fire from his sword at the blue-haired superwoman.

She reacted to his sudden appearance with lightning fast reflexes, easily avoiding his attack, but that was all right. He hadn't really wanted to hit her anyway.

"You," she hissed, her pretty face twisting into a scowl.

Then she was rocketing toward him, with a speed that surprised even the Dark Centurion, who had already faced her several times before. Her small fist crashed into the breastplate he wore with the force of a battering ram, leaving a deep crater in the metal and sending the demigod flying. With a small yell, he went tumbling off the side of the building, landing unceremoniously on the sidewalk below. The impact would've snapped the bones of a lesser being, but the demigod got away with a few bad bruises.

And pain. A lot of pain.

The Dark Centurion groaned. He'd known that he would have to endure a few shots from the Amazon in order to ensure this plan worked, but he'd really been hoping to avoid that.

Content that he could now retreat without arousing her suspicion, the demigod turned and ran, going at a very good speed for someone wearing heavy armor. However, there was no way he could move faster than the Amazon, and Wonder Girl was soon flying through the air toward him.

He unleashed several more blasts of fire at her, forcing her to evade and giving him a few precious seconds. The Dark Centurion used them to duck into a nearby alleyway, where the cool shadows allowed him to make use of his teleportation ability. He concentrated, and his body melted into darkness, only to reform in another alleyway.

Though only a few blocks away from his previous position, _this_ alley was located in one of the affluent parts of the city. It was not an area that Wonder Girl usually patrolled, but it _was_ a place that Asuka Langley Soryu frequented often.

Moving as quickly as possible, the Dark Centurion shed his armor and weapons, hiding them behind a dumpster for the moment. This was the most vulnerable moment of his plan; Wonder Girl would doubtlessly remain in the area where he'd first made his appearance for a few minutes, justifiably expecting him to show up and attempt to ambush her again. However, he didn't dare delay, especially since it might take him a minute or two to locate Asuka. Timing was everything, so he couldn't waste a single second.

Finally freed of his armor, Takai burst out of the alley and started looking around. As usual, this street was fairly busy at this time of day, and for a moment, he was unable to locate the Second Child. An icy fist clenched around his heart as he thought all his plans might collapse, but then he spotted a copper-colored mane in the sea of dark-haired people. He ran over to Asuka, pushing people out of his way, and affected a frantic demeanor that wasn't entirely fake.

"Asuka!" he yelled as he drew near.

"Takai?" she asked, blinking in surprise as she saw her normally cool and suave boyfriend's frazzled appearance. "What's wrong?" she asked at once.

"Wonder Girl," he gasped, panting heavily even though he wasn't the least bit tired. "She just…attacked me. It's a miracle that I was able to get away from her alive. I think I lost her in the crowd, but I'm pretty sure she's still looking for me."

"Why would she attack you?" Asuka asked, bewildered.

"I don't know! She's gone crazy or something! I was just minding my own business, and suddenly she throws a damn car at me!" he exclaimed. "I really think she's out for blood. Please, you have to call out Section Two, or hell, get NERV to launch an EVA to stop her."

Seeing the gleam that appeared in Asuka's eye, Takai had to resist the urge to smile. Most people in Tokyo-3 would've been highly suspect of a story that involved one of the city's beloved superwomen randomly attacking a civilian. Fortunately for him, Asuka's personal feelings were clouding her thinking processes.

He knew that the redhead had never liked Wonder Girl, probably viewing her as some kind of rival. Takai had little doubt that she had long yearned for a battle with her, in fact, if only to see which one of them was more powerful. However, with no justification for picking a fight with the other superwoman, she'd held back.

Now Takai was giving her an excuse, and she wasn't about to question it.

"You go find someplace to hide," she ordered him. "I'll make sure this is taken care of."

"Thank you, Asuka, you're the best," he said, before taking off again.

As he melted into the crowd, it finally occurred to Takai that he had basically just manipulated his girlfriend into fighting one of his battles for him.

* * *

_Where is he?_ Wonder Girl thought to herself as she intently scanned the streets and rooftops of the area.

She had no intention of allowing the Dark Centurion to escape, not after all the misery and trouble he had already caused her. Unfortunately, it seemed as though he had completely disappeared.

The Amazon was by now more than familiar enough with the demigod to know that he was actually quite capable of doing just that, but she couldn't quite believe that he had run away so quickly.

Pointless little hit and run strikes weren't the Dark Centurion's style. Whenever she saw him, it was because he had something nasty in mind.

Thunder boomed just then, and rain began to fall from the sky, almost immediately going from a few stray drops to a fierce downpour that dramatically reduced visibility.

Sighing softly, the Amazon ran a hand over her already soaked hair. "It appears that—"

A fist slammed into the side of her face with _enormous_ force before she could finish her sentence, sending her careening through the air. The Amazon cried out in pain, even she automatically struggled to get her flight under control. She hadn't felt such intense pain since becoming Wonder Girl; the Dark Centurion had certainly never managed to hit quite that hard.

Eventually managing to come to a stop in midair, the Amazon looked around frantically for the one who had hit her. She didn't have to search for long.

Hovering a short distance away from her was a blond girl about her size. She was clad in a white leotard, along with a cape, boots, gloves, and a cape, all of which were bright red. Along with the Amazon, she was one of the most well known individuals in the city.

"Power Girl," she breathed.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Coming up next chapter, Asuka vs. Rei, Power Girl against Wonder Girl. Flying brick against flying brick. Place your bets, folks.

Anyway, not much else to say here, so thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.

* * *

Omake

Too Cruel 

Meanwhile, in a dingy apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo-3, the Cheetah sat at a small table, pondering over the artifact she had stolen from a warehouse weeks ago now.

Back when she'd taken it, she had, in all honesty, expected to have the glyphs translated within a few days. However, they'd been in a dialect she wasn't familiar with, and time had taken its toll on the quality of the writing.

Yet she'd persevered, as she always did, and she was nearly ready to make her move against Wonder Girl.

"Almost," she muttered to herself as she carefully manipulated the object. "Almost…"

Suddenly, several pieces of the artifact clicked together, the previously mystifying glyphs combining in a way that made sense.

Cheetah blinked as she saw a picture of what looked like Godzilla on the side of the thing, only it was…purple.

"What the—!" she exclaimed, completely caught by surprise. "This thing unleashes _Barney?_"

For a second, she stared at the artifact, deep in thought.

Then she carelessly tossed it over her shoulder.

"Not even that little bitch deserves _that_," she eventually decided. "I wonder if I can catch a flight home tonight…"


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it and am making no profit off this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen:** Clash of the Titans

"I tried to stop this," Aphrodite said mournfully. "I really tried."

Athena looked at the goddess of love, a pinched expression on her face. She and Aphrodite had often been rivals in the past—their opposing natures made that inevitable—but on the matter of Wonder Girl, they were very much in harmony.

Neither of them had ever wanted what was about to happened.

"They could have been allies," the love goddess continued. "Working together, they could've been magnificent. I did my best to nudge Rei in that direction."

"I know you did," Athena said softly. "And you're right, as allies, they would've been unstoppable. But some things…"

She trailed off, looking down at the mortal world, where the Champion of the Amazons and the Girl of Steel were glaring at one another, the air between the two practically crackling.

"Some things are just inevitable," Athena finished.

* * *

High above the city of Tokyo-3, a tempest howled. Rain came down in great blinding torrents, a steady downpour that was frequently punctuated by a jagged tongue of white lightning and a deep rumble of thunder.

Meanwhile, below the thunderheads but still well above the city streets, it was only the calm before the storm.

"Power Girl," Wonder Girl breathed, gazing out at the other young woman hovering in the air.

The Amazon's mind reeled as she tried to process the sight before her, as well as what had just happened. Only a moment ago, she had been searching for the Dark Centurion, who had made a hit-and-run style attack on her, only to be interrupted by a blow of mind boggling power and ferocity. Now the other superwoman was before her, clearly having been the one who had delivered that blow.

The unprovoked attack from Power Girl made absolutely no sense to the Amazon, however; she had never even _met_ the other superwoman before, let alone done anything to earn her animosity. Also, while Rei had always thought that Power Girl had a dangerous tendency toward unnecessary showboating—not to mention a habit of applying her talents to areas that would get her the most attention, rather than where they were most needed—it could not be argued that the Girl of Steel had done much good. She wasn't a villain.

Or at least, so Wonder Girl had thought.

"Nothing to say?" the blond superwoman asked when the Amazon didn't speak up after a few seconds. "Fine, I'll talk then. Pack it in and go home, Wonder Girl, or I'll _make_ you go home."

The Amazon blinked. There was something…_familiar_ about Power Girl. Something about her mannerisms and the way she spoke rang a bell in Wonder Girl's memory, but in the pouring rain and howling winds, it was impossible to observe her well enough to get more than that.

"Why are you doing this?" Wonder Girl spoke up. "Why did you attack me? I have done nothing to you."

"Maybe it's because I don't like it when someone picks on innocent civilians?" Power Girl suggested snidely.

"I did not—"

"Don't lie to me!" Power Girl barked. "Now go home, don't let me catch you at it again, and I won't need to discipline you for your bad behavior."

Wonder Girl hesitated, carefully weighing her options. On the one hand, the Dark Centurion had doubtlessly made his escape and vanished back into the shadows from whence he'd came by now. Her whole reason for donning her leotard at the moment was gone, so she could give into Power Girl's demanded and lose nothing.

On the other hand, there was the question of why Power Girl seemed to believe the other superwoman had been attacking the innocent. Wonder Girl had absolutely no idea how she had come to that conclusion, and in fact she wondered if Power Girl was even telling the truth. The idea that she might actually be an accomplice of the Dark Centurion seemed very possible. It might be wise, Wonder Girl mused, to subdue and interrogate Power Girl.

"You want me to leave?" Wonder Girl spoke. "Make me."

In the end, _no one_ threatened an Amazon and got away with it.

Power Girl cracked her knuckles. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

She surged forward, moving at incredible speeds, and her fist connected with the side of Wonder Girl's face. The Amazon cried out in pain, amazed at how quickly her foe was; even to her eyes, Power Girl had been little more than a blur.

The Girl of Steel managed to land two more savage blows before Wonder Girl was able to react, bringing up an arm to keep the fourth punch from connecting. Power Girl's fist struck her bracer, causing it to vibrate noticeably while the impact traveled painfully up the Amazon's arm.

Ignoring her discomfort, Wonder Girl struck with her free arm, landing a solid right hook on Power Girl. She grimaced as her knuckles connected with all the force she could muster; it was like punching a block of iron, and she was certain that she would've shattered every bone in her hand if not for her superhuman durability. However, Power Girl's head snapped to the side, and she released a grunt of pain.

_If you get the advantage, hold onto it,_ Wonder Girl thought, recalling the lessons Artemis had drilled into her. She lashed out as quickly and powerfully as she could, raining punches onto Power Girl's face, ignoring the pain in her knuckles.

It didn't take the Girl of Steel long to block and retaliate just as Wonder Girl had done a moment ago, but the Amazon was ready for that. She ducked, avoiding the punch Power Girl threw, and then dove forward, behind the blond superwoman. Grabbing two handfuls of the red cape that the Girl of Steel wore, she started to spin in place like a top.

"Whoa!" Power Girl exclaimed as she was sent in rapid circles, her cape doing an admirable job of holding onto its wearer.

With a grunt and a final heave, Wonder Girl released her hold on the other superwoman's red cape, sending her careening upwards into the sky. Unfortunately, they were already at least twenty stories above the street, and there no convenient skyscrapers around for Power Girl to crash into.

Intending to hold onto the initiative, Wonder Girl took off after Power Girl, planning to deal out more punishment to the so-called Girl of Steel. However, Power Girl regained control of her flight more quickly than the Amazon had expected. Seeing that the Amazon was coming toward her, Power Girl surged forward at top speed, hands balled into fists.

Both superwomen let out a loud, wordless battle cries just before their fists met in a titanic collision.

A massive _BOOM_ sounded, far louder than any clap of thunder, and both superwomen were thrown backwards, flipping end over end like a pair of hastily discarded toys. A great shockwave burst outwards from the point where they had hit one another, repelling the raindrops that were mercilessly bombarding the city. For just a moment, there appeared to be a giant bubble in the air over Tokyo-3 where the rain could not enter.

The next thing Wonder Girl knew, she was on the ground; a badly cracked portion of a street, to be more specific. She groaned as she slowly sat up and looked around. No one had gathered around her or was even visible on the road; apparently the severe weather was keeping too many of the city's denizens inside. The Amazon found herself grateful for that; she was in the less affluent part of the city, and for some reason, she found that she did not want the people she had been helping for so long to her laid low like this.

Gingerly getting to her feet, the Amazon had to suppress a grimace. Her whole body ached thanks to the shockwave she and Power Girl had created. The pain was rapidly ebbing thanks to her Amazonian healing rate, but she could barely remember the last time her she had hurt everywhere like this.

It had probably been after the failed Unit Zero activation test had left her so grievously injured, she realized.

Power Girl appeared from behind one of the nearby buildings to land on the street a safe distance away from her, and the Amazon immediately straightened her back and schooled her features. An Amazon never showed weakness to an enemy.

"Had enough yet, or do you want some more?" the blond superwoman taunted, putting her hands on her hips. She seemed no worse for the wear from the gigantic shockwave they'd created, and the Amazon hoped that the Girl of Steel was likewise concealing her own pain.

Wonder Girl replied by silently getting into an attack stance, putting up her fists.

"Fine with me," Power Girl said.

Twin, pencil-thin beams of red light abruptly burst forth from the Girl of Steel's eyes, instantly reducing every last drop of rain they touched to steam. Reflexes drilled into her during her short but intense training on Themscryia made Wonder Girl move before her conscious mind could catch up. She raised an arm, and the twin beams of ruby light struck her bracer. The metal absorbed some of the energy, almost instantly starting to glow orange with heat, and Wonder Girl clenched her jaw to hold back a cry of pain. However, a great portion of the beams' energy bounced off the bracer, heading back toward Power Girl.

"_Ah!_" the blond superwoman cried out in pain as her own attack struck her in the shoulder, staggering back a step and covering the wounded area with a gloved hand as the beams coming from her eyes ceased.

Wonder Girl grabbed hold of her lasso then, and with a brief twirl and a practiced flick, sent it flying toward Power Girl. The loop fell right over the blond superwoman, and the Amazon pulled it tight, so it pinned her upper arms to her sides.

The Girl of Steel released a derisive laugh. "You really think your little rope can hold me?" she asked.

Wonder Girl said nothing, merely staring at the other superwoman with a blank expression.

Then Power Girl started trying to break the lasso, applying her superhuman might to the task. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't do it; the magical rope remained solidly intact, not even stretching out at all.

Power Girl's confident smirk transformed to an expression of obvious confusion and dismay, and Wonder Girl allowed a small smile to appear on her face.

Then she pulled on the lasso as hard as she could, yanking Power Girl off her feet and sending her flying forward, not under her own power. With a cry, the Amazon punched Power Girl as hard as she could, abruptly reversing the Girl of Steel's direction. Not giving Power Girl even a moment to recover, she pulled on the lasso again, this time turning to the side as she did so. The Girl of Steel was whipped around in a wide arc, striking the side of a derelict building and bringing a significant portion of the wall down. Power Girl crashed to the sidewalk, rubble cascading over her.

Then, all was silent aside from the sound of the raindrops striking the streets.

Wonder Girl cautiously approached the piles of debris where the other superwoman was buried. She wanted to interrogate her, to find out what connection, if any, she had to the Dark Centurion, yet it seemed unlikely that Power Girl was unconscious or otherwise down for the count. Wary for any sign of movement, she started to shift some of the rubble about, still clutching her lasso with one hand.

Then Power Girl burst out of the debris, no longer caught in the lasso's loop.

One ferocious uppercut from the Girl of Steel sent Wonder Girl back into the sky. The Amazon cried out in pain, part of her amazed that her jaw bone hadn't simply shattered into about a million pieces from the sheer force of the blow.

Incredibly, even as she was still reeling from the force of the blow, her hands automatically coiled up her lasso and returned it to its place at her hip, completely without any conscious thought on the Amazon's part.

Then Power Girl was right in front of her again, her fist pulled back. Wonder Girl's Amazonian training (not to mention her desire to not endure such a powerful hit again) kicked in instantly, and she dodged the strike, retaliating with a right cross.

"Tell me why you're defending the Dark Centurion!" Wonder Girl demanded, not letting up with her assault for even a moment. "Tell me, and we can stop this!"

Power Girl responded by catching Wonder Girl's fist smartly in her gloved hand the next time the Amazon attempted to throw a punch. Without hesitating, Wonder Girl tried to strike with her free hand, only to have the Girl of Steel grab that one, too.

The Amazon attempted to wrench her hands free of Power Girl's grip, then abruptly tried again to strike the Girl of Steel, even with her fists caught in the other superwoman's grip. However, she failed in both endeavors, with Power Girl just barely managing to stop her.

Then the blond woman started to slowly force Wonder Girl to spread her arms wide. The Amazon set her jaw as she resisted fiercely, her body shaking as she applied every ounce of her superhuman strength to the task. Yet her arms—which had nearly halted the descent of the Tenth Angel's massive form and had pounded a bronze giant into junk—were unable to overpower the Girl of Steel.

Power Girl grinned triumphantly as Wonder Girl grimaced, and what both of them had already suspected was confirmed beyond doubt. Power Girl was the stronger of the two.

"You're not used to picking on people who can actually stand up to you, are you?" Power Girl asked snidely.

"I—"

Before Wonder Girl could get any further, the blonde abruptly bobbed her head forward, and her skull crashed into the Amazon's. Stars danced before the blue-haired superwoman's vision, and the next thing she was aware of was Power Girl's knuckles rushing to meet her nose. Wonder Girl went reeling, and the blonde grabbed a handful of the hair on the back of her head.

"I wonder how long you can hold your breath?" the Girl of Steel mused aloud.

Power Girl followed that comment by diving sharply, dragging along Wonder Girl, who opted not to resist, quickly realizing what the blonde was planning on doing. Instead, she used the precious few seconds of relative reprieve to plan her next moves.

_I have grown too accustomed to having enemies who are weaker than myself,_ the Amazon thought grimly.

Hippolyta and her other teachers on Themscryria had warned her again and again about the dangers of assuming she would always be the most powerful combatant in any given fight, and while she had not dismissed their words, she had nevertheless begun to do exactly that over time. As a result, when she had finally encountered a foe who was actually stronger, faster, and tougher than herself, she had continued to act as though she still had the advantage for far too long.

_I must change tactics,_ she thought just as she and Power Girl plunged into Lake Ashi with a tremendous splash.

Dimly, the Amazon wondered if the blonde would have done this if she hadn't already been soaked to the skin by the driving rain.

With incredible speed, Power Girl got Wonder Girl into a full nelson hold, then merely maintained her position underwater. Clearly, the Girl of Steel was of the belief that she could hold her breath for significantly longer than the Amazon. With the way the battle had been going so far, Wonder Girl wouldn't have been the least surprised if she was correct.

Instantly, the Amazon made a great show of struggling and thrashing about. She knew she wouldn't be able to escape Power Girl's grip, but she had to give the blonde the response she no doubt wanted. Silently, she counted down seconds in her head, preparing to go limp long before she'd actually run out of oxygen.

Only she never got the chance; Power Girl released her before she could execute the ruse. Stunned, Wonder Girl paused for a brief moment, then quickly shot upwards.

_She's arrogant,_ the Amazon thought as she realized why Power Girl had just done that.

The blonde wanted to extend the battle. Clearly, she was absolutely confident of victory by this point and intended to play with her foe a bit more before ending things. The Amazon intended to make her pay for that.

She burst forth from the surface of the lake a second later, taking a great lungful of air and flew back toward Tokyo-3 at top speed, playing the part of the retreating foe who knew she'd been beaten.

Unsurprisingly, Power Girl was in pursuit a moment later. The Amazon spotted her out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored her, not changing course.

Then she felt a hand clamp down on her ankle in a vice-like grip, and the next thing Wonder Girl knew, she was once again careening toward the street. She grimaced as she crashed into a street lamp, bending it severely and causing most of it to topple to the ground like a tree blown over in a gale.

_Perfect,_ she thought.

She lay against what remained of the pole as Power Girl landed and approached her, arrogance projected by her posture, by her every movement.

"I bet you thought you were such hot stuff when you were the only superwoman in this town," Power Girl said as she strutted forward. "Probably thought you could do whatever you wanted."

_Closer,_ Wonder Girl thought as behind her back, one of her hands burrowed into the cold metal of the lamp pole as easily as a normal person's finger would penetrate loose, damp earth.

"And why not?" Power Girl asked rhetorically. "Nobody could stop gushing about how great you were. It was all the _Tokyo Tattler_ could talk about."

_Closer,_ Wonder Girl thought again, making a conscious effort to refrain from tensing her muscles in preparation for making her move. It was an extremely difficult thing to do.

"But things are different now," Power Girl continued. "Now that I'm here, if you step out of line, then there's someone to punish you for it."

Finally within arm's reach of the Amazon, the blonde reached down, apparently planning to grab Wonder Girl by the hair and pull her to her feet.

She never got the chance. The blue-haired superwoman ripped the power cable out of what remained of the lamp pole and pressed the severed, sparking end right into the blonde's abdomen.

With how completely soaked she was, the electricity had no trouble making it through the thin fabric and straight into the Girl of Steel. Power Girl released a loud cry of pain and surprise, her head snapping back in agony.

"You talk too much," Wonder Girl said flatly.

In one smooth motion the Amazon got back to her feet, discarded the cable, and delivered a fierce uppercut to Power Girl's jaw. The blow was nearly powerful enough to send the blonde into the stratosphere, if not for Wonder Girl grabbing her and halting her motion. The Amazon forced the blonde to bend over and drove her knee into Power Girl's already abused stomach as hard as she could. The Girl of Steel released a gasp as the wind was driven from her lungs, and she crumpled to the ground.

Only to immediately start getting back up again, Wonder Girl noted, amazed at the other superwoman's resilience.

Picking up a nearby parked car, she slammed it down onto Power Girl's prone form, flattening her back to the street. Then she lifted it up and brought it down once more, and again and again, like some overzealous victim of arachnophobia desperately trying to smash a spider into mush.

It was an elegant tactic, to be sure, but it seemed to be working.

Or at least it did until a lot spot on the roof of the now ruined vehicle started to glow orange, then melted entirely. Power Girl burst forth from the hole, apparently not the least bit perturbed by the still molten metal that had dripped onto her.

"I am—!"

She never got any further. Wonder Girl hurled the car at her with all her strength, sending it and Power Girl smashing into the wall of a nearby abandoned building. The Amazon didn't wait around to observe the Girl of Steel bursting forth from the debris, instead she instantly took to the air.

Painfully aware of how little time she had before the more powerful superwoman was upon her, the Amazon quickly ducked into an abandoned building and took up position next to a window, pressing herself against the wall. If Power Girl had managed to note the direction in which she'd been flying—and Wonder Girl was fairly confident that she had—and followed, then she would have to fly right past her. The Amazon could ambush her easily.

One minute passed, then two. The blue-haired superwoman frowned, wondering if Power Girl had lost track of her and had decided to return home. Try as she might to remain at a state of maximum alertness, Wonder Girl felt herself relaxing slightly as the adrenaline began to leave her.

Then a gloved hand erupted from the wall behind her, grabbing the Amazon by the neck. Wood, plaster, and concrete crumbled and broke as Wonder Girl was pulled straight through the wall, back out into the torrential rain.

"I see you," Power Girl said in a singsong voice.

Wonder Girl's world became a flurry of punches and kicks as the Girl of Steel unleashed a wild flurry of blows. The Amazon deflected a few, and dodged several, but still more connected. In her fury, Power Girl had lost practically all finesse, but she was so damnably _fast_ that it barely mattered.

"Take _this_!" the Girl of Steel snarled, launching a titanic kick to Wonder Girl's stomach.

The Amazon was sent hurtling almost straight upwards, at speeds that took even her breath away.

Yet Power Girl proved faster still. The Amazon blinked, and suddenly the blonde was high above her. Wonder Girl watched, the world seeming to move in slow motion, as the Girl of Steel entwined her fingers together, raising her hands high over her head.

The Amazon tried desperately to halt her runaway ascent, to change course, but it did her no good.

Power Girl's fists came down on her, and a roar of thunder that had nothing to do with the foul weather erupted, seeming to shake the sky. Wonder Girl rocketed downward, crashing directly into and then _through_ the roof of a shabby looking apartment building. The Girl of Steel watched in horror as the entire structure practically imploded, what had once been a building collapsing into an avalanche of debris.

"Mein Gott in Himmel," she breathed, the blood draining from her face.

She had just wanted to give Wonder Girl a few well deserved whacks to teach her a lesson. Power Girl hadn't wanted to _kill_ her, let alone murder a whole building full of people in the bargain. She had just become so furious at the blue haired superwoman after that trick with the power line that she'd stopped thinking through every move she'd made.

Not wanting to see what she had just done, but knowing she needed to assess the situation if she wanted to mitigate the damage and pull people from the wreckage, she stared down at pile of rubble, willing it to become transparent.

Her X-ray vision kicked on, and Power Girl a great sigh, her body going slack with relief. The building had apparently been derelict; no one but Wonder Girl was present in the debris, and the Amazon wasn't dead. Focusing more intently, the Girl of Steel was able to see straight through Wonder Girl's skin and flesh, observing as wounds healed and bones knitted themselves back together. It would take a while, but eventually the Amazon would be none the worse for the wear.

"She'll remember, though," Power Girl said to herself. "And she'll think twice about harassing innocent people like Takai while I'm around."

Feeling extremely satisfied with herself, the Girl of Steel took off, heading for home.

She never did notice that black clad figure hiding in the shadows, not far from the pile of rubble that had so recently been a building.

* * *

"I knew she wouldn't finish the job," the Dark Centurion mused to himself as approached the pile of rubble that had once been an apartment building, the rain beating down on his black armor. "I knew it."

He would have preferred it if Power Girl had slain the Amazon, of course; it certainly would have made his job much easier, but he hadn't for a moment truly expected her to do it.

The Dark Centurion had never followed Power Girl's career very closely, having been far more fixated upon Wonder Girl for obvious reasons. As a result, he didn't truly know if she lived up to all the hype and hero worship thrown her way. However, he had grown to know Asuka fairly well, and though he was quite aware of the fact that she had her flaws (not to mention several buttons he could press to get a response out of her, all without her ever realizing he was manipulating her), he was equally aware of her virtues. She might practically demand praise from people, but she worked hard to deserve it, too.

_She wouldn't sell herself as a hero, and then play judge, jury, and executioner to someone,_ he thought. _She's not a fraud._

That thought made him feel enormously guilty, so the Dark Centurion savagely buried it, focusing instead on the task at hand.

"Where are you, Wonder Girl?" he demanded. "I know you're here."

He swung his sword in a wide, horizontal arc, and a massive plume of flame burst from the coal black iron, the raindrops hissing and instantly turning to steam as they hit the fire. The blast struck some of the rubble, reducing it to dust.

"I'll flush you out sooner or later, you know," he called. "But if it's later, I'll be _annoyed_."

There was no movement from the great pile of rubble, and the Dark Centurion growled, unleashing several more bursts of flame. So much steam rose up from the area that a casual observer probably would have assumed that the area was one fire.

Fortunately for the Dark Centurion, even the heat generated by his otherworldly flames didn't persist long in the relentless downpour. The steam quickly dissipated, allowing him to take another look at the much reduced pile of broken concrete and twisted steel.

It didn't take him very long to spot a trace of blue among the wreckage.

"There you are," he said, smiling triumphantly.

Walking over to it, he reached down and grabbed a handful of Wonder Girl's hair, pulling her none too gently out of the debris, holding her up so her feet were just above the ground.

She looked enormously bruised and battered. Crimson eyes slowly focused on him, and she made no effort to escape his grip.

"Well now, isn't this nice?" he sneered. "The mighty Wonder Girl, weak and helpless in my grip."

She didn't respond. The Dark Centurion almost suspected that she wasn't really hearing him, but he didn't care. This moment had been a very long time in coming, and he intended to enjoy it.

"You really drove me up a damn wall, you know that?" he asked her. "Father was getting very annoyed at me. He wanted you dead yesterday, and I must admit I was increasingly at a loss as to how I could make it happen, especially as it became painfully clear that you have much greater brute strength than I do."

The Amazon said nothing, but he thought he saw loathing in her ruby eyes. That brought a wide smile to his face.

"But there's always a bigger fish out there somewhere, isn't there? And in the end, it looks like my brains beat your brawn," he said. "So, any last—ooph!"

His monologue was brought to a cruel and premature halt as her fist abruptly lashed out, punching him in the gut with enough force to leave a massive dent in his armor. He automatically released her as he nearly doubled over and clutched at his abdomen in pain.

"You also talk too much," Wonder Girl said.

Then she took off running, moving at a fast pace but stumbling every few steps and nearly falling. The Dark Centurion immediately ran after her, unwilling to allow his victory to slip away.

_Father will kill me if I let her get escape now!_ He thought, moving as quickly as he could while encumbered by his heavy armor. _And that will just be the beginning!_

Yet even with panic pushing him forward, Wonder Girl managed to slip into a nearby alley before he could catch up to her, escaping his field of vision for a few precious seconds. He almost wasn't surprised when he reached the alley himself and found it empty, despite it being a dead end.

Frantically, he opened the lid of the dumpster present in the alley, which was the only place where she could have possibly hidden.

There was nothing but trash in there, however.

"Must have flown away," he growled to himself, cursing his own stupidity. He should have gloated later.

_All right, calm down,_ he commanded himself. _Panicking won't help._

Though Wonder Girl had obviously had more fight left in her than he'd expected, it was clear she was still badly wounded from her brutal clash with Power Girl. It would be a good while before she could flee from him at top speed, let alone defeat him in a fight, even with how rapidly her body healed itself.

He just had to catch her before she could find a good place to hide from him.

_Need to get someplace high, where I can see her,_ he decided, closing his eyes.

The Dark Centurion concentrated, and his body melted into shadows. In a moment, he had completely vanished.

* * *

Wonder Girl breathed a sigh of relief as she peeked out from the storm drain which the Dark Centurion had never even glanced at.

It was not the best hiding spot, to put it mildly. Aside from the constant torrent of rainwater pouring down on her, it was cold. The less said about the stench, the better.

However, the place was the reason she was still alive, so it was impossible to hate it _too_ much.

Enduring the waterfall cascading down on her with equanimity, the Amazon silently counted to 1,000. Once she had gotten to that number, she carefully peered out of the drain again. Seeing no sign of the Dark Centurion, she reached up and shifted the grate covering the storm drain aside, climbing out.

_This is foolish,_ she chastised herself as she headed back to the remains of the building which she and Power Girl had destroyed. _My enemy could be there for all I know._

Regardless, she didn't turn around.

She was surprised when she reached the massive pile of rubble and found no police of any kind. Wonder Girl would have expected law enforcement to have arrived by that point to investigate all the destruction.

Then she looked around and realized that every window she saw was dark. The combination of the power outage—which, she realized with some embarrassment, she had probably caused—and the awful weather had likely slowed down the police department's response.

Well, so much the better. They would only be in danger if the Dark Centurion came back, and she didn't need to deal with them right now.

She immediately went to work, shifting massive chunks of concrete and badly twisted steels girders. Her battered body cried out in protest with every movement, but her muscles still provided the necessary power.

Eventually, she discovered what she was looking for.

Pandora's Box.

_What are the odds,_ she mused, _that the one structure completely destroyed in my battle with Power Girl would be my own apartment building?_

Grabbing the padlock she'd put on the box with her small hand, Wonder Girl squeezed, reducing the thing to a worthless hunk of metal. Finding the key would have proved _truly_ impossible, since it had been hidden in her apartment.

Ripping the ruined lock off the box, Wonder Girl opened it, not caring that everything inside was instantly soaked by the torrential rain. Rooting inside the magical container, she frantically pushed aside her sword, her bronze armor, and everything else which the gods had given her until she located the object she sought.

A simple black case for eyeglasses.

Opening it, Wonder Girl discovered that the spectacles inside were intact. Or, at least, no more badly broken than they'd been before.

Looking at them, she wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed to see them, the symbol of her bond to the Commander, undamaged by the massive battle that had utterly destroyed her home.

_Perhaps it is best this way,_ she thought. _The decision should not be made for me…even if I might wish it to be._

Putting the glasses back, Wonder Girl sealed Pandora's Box and slung it over her shoulder. She could see red and blue lights flashing in the distance as the police approached at last, accompanied by at least one fire engine. Clearly, it was time for her to leave.

Without looking back, the Amazon walked away from what had once been her home for the last time.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Okay, I think you all knew that a battle between Asuka and Rei was going to happen. To be honest, part of the reason I made them both flying bricks was so they could have a big, knockout, drag down brawl. I hope it came okay; I always thought Orionpax was better with action that I am.

Anyway, thanks as always to my readers and reviewers, and thanks to my beta reader as well.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it and am making no profit off this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen:** Aftermath

"Are you certain that's everything, Rei?" Shinji asked as he looked around.

"Yes," she answered. "I was not able to salvage very much from my old apartment, so there was not much to move."

"Yeah, I can see that," Shinji remarked, looking around the barren room.

The Third Child had been nothing short of horrified when he'd learned that Rei's apartment building had been utterly destroyed in some kind of battle involving two of the city's superwomen. When he'd found out that Rei hadn't been home at the time, Shinji had practically been ready to collapse from relief.

Of course, with her apartment reduced to a pile of debris, Rei had to relocate, so NERV had put her in a room at the barracks in the Geofront. Shinji had come by to help her settle in, but there was very little of that to do, at least at the moment, since she would need to purchase a lot of new things.

Not that there was so much space for new stuff, he noted, gazing at Rei's tiny room, which was barely a step up from her previous living conditions. The place was clean, which was a definite plus in his book, but it was very bit as dull and drab as her old apartment had been. It was also less than half the size and didn't seem to have its own bathroom.

_If anything, this place seems even less homey than her old apartment did,_ Shinji thought glumly.

The only thing Rei had managed to salvage from her old apartment building was an ornate wooden chest. Shinji was surprised to see that the First Child had such an object, and he had to admit he was extremely curious about what was inside it. However, the heavy padlock keeping it closed was a pretty good sign that Rei didn't want people taking a peek.

Aside from that, the only thing she'd brought to her new dwelling so far was a copy of the latest _Tokyo Tattler_. The tabloid was currently sitting on top of the wooden chest, allowing the Third Child to read the cover.

**STORMY CLASH SHAKES TOKYO-3!**

Shinji thought that the headline was pretty awkward. Normally, he would've been surprised to see the First Child in possession of the sensationalist rag, but considering what had happened to her home, he supposed she just wanted to know more about how events had unfolded.

"Have you read that?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "It appears that no one is quite sure exactly what happened. Some witnesses reported seeing the person known as the Dark Centurion, and the tabloid speculates that Power Girl and Wonder Girl were fighting him together."

Shinji just shook his head. "You know, I always thought the superwomen were pretty cool, even in spite of what happened with the Jet Alone, but it looks like they were just reckless this time," he remarked. "I mean, you could've died if you'd been home at the time!"

If Rei shared his indignation, she didn't show it. If anything, she looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Very little is actually known about what transpired," she pointed out. "It is possible that neither of them is to blame. Or that one of the superwomen was more reckless than the other." She added, seemingly as an afterthought.

He shrugged. "I guess you're right," he said. "So…are you sure I can't do anything to help you here?"

"There is nothing," she confirmed. "But…the offer is appreciated." She added, giving him a small smile.

Without meaning to at all, Shinji found himself smiling back. "All right," he said. "Let me know if anything comes up."

Reluctantly, he departed from Rei's new quarters, heading back to his own apartment.

"I'm home," he said with a sigh as he took off his shoes.

"Welcome home, Shinji," replied Misato, who was seated at the kitchen table, nursing a can of beer as she looked over some paperwork. "What's with the long face?"

"Um, you know how Rei's apartment building was destroyed?" he asked.

Misato nodded. "Of course," she said. "God, I almost had a heart attack when I realized NERV could've lost a third of its pilots just like that." She snapped her fingers.

"Well, NERV set her up with some new quarters, and I just got back from there…"

His guardian smirked. "Shinji, if you go to visit a young lady in her room and come back all gloomy, then clearly at least one of you is doing something very wrong."

"We weren't doing anything like _that!_" he shrilled, blushing furiously.

Misato laughed. "I figured as much," she said. "So why so glum, Shinji?"

"They put Rei in the barracks in the Geofront," he explained.

"The barracks?" she asked, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah," Shinji said. "I thought that just about any place would be a step up from her old apartment, but her new place is about as bad. It's so small and sterile."

"Is that so?" Misato asked thoughtfully, tapping the end of her pen against her lips.

"Yeah," Shinji said. "Anyway, I have some homework I have to do."

"Don't let me stop you," she said with a dismissive wave. "I should probably get back to this, anyway." She added with a small sigh as she directed her gaze back at the paperwork spread out on the table.

"Okay," Shinji said, and headed for his room.

He never noticed the sly little smile that appeared on her face even as she started to work on the dull reports again.

* * *

"Hello, son."

Hearing those two words, Takai Banryu could only grimace. He had known, of course, that this was coming. He'd known that this was coming ever since he'd realized he'd managed to lose track of Wonder Girl even after Power Girl had done a number on her.

He had _dreaded_ this moment ever since he'd accepted that the opportunity had slipped through his fingers, so much so that he had become convinced Lord Hades had very deliberately waited this long to appear; the god wanted him to suffer as his anxiety and anticipation for this moment built up.

Takai had eventually told himself that he'd actually be relieved when Hades showed up. He'd even believed it.

Yet now that the Lord of the Underworld was actually in his apartment, he realized that he'd been completely wrong about that.

"Hello, Father," he managed to squeak out.

Hades gave his demigod son a glare that would've made Gendo Ikari instantly wet himself. Takai managed to control his bladder, if only barely.

"So I understand," Hades began, menace radiating from every divine molecule, "that most of your recent plan to eliminate Wonder Girl actually worked quite well."

Takai didn't dare to say anything in response.

"After all, all your preparation paid off quite handsomely," the god pointed out. "The timing of everything worked out exactly as you intended, and you were correct in your belief that Power Girl would be able to get the better of the Amazon."

Again, Takai didn't speak. Hades walked a slow circle around his demigod offspring as he continued.

"And as you suspected, Power Girl opted not to slay her opponent once she had defeated her," Hades said. "So you were there, waiting to finish what she left undone."

"Yes," Takai whispered, because the god was looking at him expectantly.

"And yet with victory all but assured…_you let her get away!_" Hades snarled, his carefully schooled fury erupting into one thunderous shout.

The temperature inside his apartment abruptly seemed to drop by several degrees, and the light dimmed, as though the sun was hidden behind a cloud. Takai only wished that the reason for the phenomenon was something so mundane, but he knew better. For the moment, his apartment was a _de facto_ part of the Underworld, where Lord Hades ruled supreme.

"You underestimated an Amazon! You underestimated the _champion_ of the Amazons, the elite of the elite!" Hades continued his tirade, while Takai just tried not to cower too blatantly. "All you had to do to ensure my ultimate victory was to avoid carelessness! To not treat so formidable an opponent lightly! And what did you do instead? _You threw away a golden opportunity by being a complete __**idiot!**_**"**

The Lord of the Underworld continued in this vein for several minutes, dragging more and more of his realm's power into Takai's home as he went on. The apartment grew steadily colder and darker, and soon unnatural scurrying things that could only have ever existed in the land of death were crawling out from under the furniture, moving from one concealed space to another so quickly that Takai could only see them out of the corner of his eye.

Just when he felt certain that either his father or the monstrosities crawling out from beneath the furniture were about to end him and make him a permanent resident of the Underworld, Hades' temper abruptly cooled. A degree of light and heat returned to his current home, and the vile creatures seemed to vanish.

"After all the foolish mistakes you've made, you do not deserve another chance," the god proclaimed disgustedly. "However, you're all I have to work with right now, so you get one, anyway."

"Th-Thank you," Takai stammered.

Sneering, Hades clapped his hands together once, and a midnight black sword appeared, floating in the air between the god and the demigod. "This blade has been imbued with the power of the Underworld itself," he said. "It is a much more dangerous weapon than your current sword. Perhaps with it even you can manage to kill Wonder Girl."

With a shaking hand, Takai took the weapon.

Without another word, Hades departed, melting into the shadows and quickly disappearing entirely. The last vestiges of the Underworld's presence instantly withdrew from the apartment, leaving it as bright and warm as it had been before the god had appeared.

Even so, Takai still felt cold for a long time afterwards.

* * *

The next day, Misato Katsuragi strode into the NERV Human Resources Department with a clear goal in mind.

Shinji had told her in the past that Rei's apartment was pretty terrible, but even though she had never seen the place, she had felt safe in assuming that the Third Child was exaggerating.

After all, Commander Ikari actually seemed quite fond of Rei Ayanami; he certainly showed her more affection than he did to his own son, so Misato could never really credit the idea that Gendo had actually put her in some miserable hole.

It didn't help that the Third Child sometimes came off as just a bit of a snob to her, looking upon her instant food and the messy state of her apartment with thinly veiled distaste. Most likely Rei's old place had been a little dirty and utterly unadorned, but not something most people would recoil in horror over. All in all, she had never felt compelled to mess with the Commander's pet pilot and her living arrangements in the past.

Learning that Rei had been placed in the Geofront barracks, however, had changed things completely. She knew that the barracks primarily housed members of NERV Security. They weren't bad people, of course, but they were young men, most of them barely out of school, and as rowdy during their off duty hours as one would expect. They often partied (and drank) especially hard when they could, to compensate for the level of disciple they had to exercise while on the job.

_Not the place for a girl in her early teens,_ Misato thought as she walked through the halls of NERV headquarters. _She's probably only there because of some stupid bureaucratic crap, anyway._

With this in mind, she entered the portion of headquarters that HR called its own. Considering that NERV had thousands of people on the payroll, the department was quite tiny, both in terms of office space and staff. The MAGI took care of most of the things such a department would normally see to, so HR really only needed a skeleton crew to address the unique issues that even the trio of supercomputers were ill equipped to handle.

The office had three desks, but only one person was present, a thin man in a white button up shirt and black suspenders. The Ops Director judged him to be in his late forties or early fifties, and the tired, mildly frustrated expression he wore made him look more like the stereotypical burnt out pencil pusher than anyone she had ever seen before.

Instantly, she went into combat mode. Approaching the man's desk, she swayed her shapely hips that just much more as she walked, and thrust her ample bust out just a bit further than it usually went.

It was too subtle for the desk jockey to consciously notice, but it obviously still had an effect on her target, judging by the nervous expression and the sheen of sweat that appeared on the man's forehead.

"M-Major Katsuragi," he greeted her in a high, reedy voice. "What brings you here?" he asked politely.

"Oh, well, Mister…?" she trailed off, looking at him in askance.

It took him a couple more seconds than it really should have for him to get with the program and answer her. "Oh, uh, Ito. Atsushi Ito." He supplied.

"Well, Atsushi, I have a bit of an issue that I think you can help me with," she said, deliberately using his given name. Her gaze briefly flicked down to his hands, and she saw no ring on either of them.

"And what…issue might that be?" Ito asked.

"Well, I was informed by Pilot Ikari that Pilot Ayanami has been moved to a room in the barracks," Misato began.

"Oh, yes, because her old residence was abruptly destroyed," Ito agreed.

Misato nodded. "Yes, but it seems to me that the barracks isn't an appropriate place to quarter a young girl like Rei," she said. "After all, the safety and well-being of the pilots is crucial to NERV. I was hoping that she could be immediately moved to someplace more suitable."

"I suppose you have a point," Ito said, clearly struggling to keep his eyes on her face. "But I'm _really_ not supposed to alter the First Child's living arrangements in any way without the Commander's approval."

Misato frowned slightly, a little surprised by this. She hadn't needed to go through the Commander's office to get either Shinji or Asuka moved in with her.

"I'm sure the only reason that the Commander hasn't issued orders to have Pilot Ayanami moved to some place more appropriate is because he's a very busy man, and other concerns are occupying his attention," she said reasonably.

"I'm not sure…"

Deciding it was time to deploy the heavy artillery, Misato leaned forward, propping herself up with a hand on Ito's desk. Her NERV uniform made it impossible to show any cleavage, of course; as short as the skirt was, the top ironically went up to her neck. However, her increased proximity still had a visible effect.

"Come on, now," she urged him. "I can't imagine Commander Ikari getting upset over such a thing. If anything, I think he'd be more likely to applaud your show of initiative. It's what I'd do, in his place."

"Where would I even move the First Child _to_?" Ito asked, not quite surrendering yet. "There are security concerns to worry about."

"Oh, that's easy," the Ops Director said cheerfully. "I already have a place in mind, and I _know_ that NERV Security has declared it safe enough for an EVA pilot to live in."

"Well…I _suppose_…"

"Wonderful!" Misato said, standing up straight. "Thank you so much for your help and understanding, Atsushi." She added, giving him a formal bow and then a dazzling smile.

"You're welcome," the man said distantly.

"If you'll excuse me, I have other things I have to attend to," Misato said. "Thank you again!" With that, she made good her escape, quickly leaving the office.

She made sure she waited until she reached another floor to let the satisfied smile appear on her face. Despite what some people around the base might've believed, she didn't employ her feminine wiles like that very often. When she did, however, it was always nice to know that she'd used her powers for good (or free drinks, or avoiding speeding tickets), rather than for evil.

* * *

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," Cheetah groaned as she stared at the screen of a beaten up old laptop, the glow illuminating her furry face with a soft blue light.

It had taken her seemingly forever, but she had _finally_ managed to translate every last glyph on the damn artifact she had stolen a seeming eternity ago. She knew exactly how the damned thing worked now, and that was part of what was fueling her frustration.

"Did the people who made this thing _ever_ want it to be used?" she wondered aloud, her tone one of pure disgust.

The criteria for being a target of the artifact's magic were surprisingly specific. Even so, Cheetah had thought that finding someone who fit them would be simple enough, since she was in the middle of a major city.

Then she'd started actually looking.

Tokyo-3 might've been a major city, at least on paper, but it had by far the lowest population density of any urban area in Japan, with more people fleeing the city every time an Angel appeared and caused destruction. Several times Cheetah had thought she'd found the perfect person to be her living weapon against Wonder Girl, only to discover that she had left the city months ago and that the public records just hadn't been updated yet.

She was almost ready to give up and just go out and hurl herself at the Amazon again when her computer beeped, announcing her search had produced another hit.

"Oh, this could be absolutely perfect," she said as she examined the results. "Assuming she's still here in the city."

Clearly, she would have to go and investigate, she decided, but she felt really good about this one for some reason.

Before she headed out, the feline fatale took one last look at the dusty artifact.

"Honestly," she spoke to herself as she walked out of her hideout, "I'll never understand what the person made that damn thing was thinking. Why create a magic artifact but make it so the thing can only affect the 'second of three daughters borne by a mother now passed'?"

* * *

Walking back to the apartment building she currently called home, Asuka Langley Soryu wore a pensive frown, thinking about her recent clash with Wonder Girl.

_I really could've killed her, or a whole bunch of other people, if anyone had been inside that building I slammed her into,_ she thought.

It was true that she had donned her white leotard and red cape because she wanted a little fame, and not much else, but that didn't mean wanted to be the _opposite_ of the great heroine so many people seemed to believe she was. In fact, she did try to live up to her glowing reputation.

Even if she'd felt no obligation whatsoever to at least work at being like the image of Power Girl that the _Tokyo Tattler_ and her fans had created, she still wouldn't want to _murder_ anybody.

_I shouldn't have lost my temper like that,_ she thought.

Well, she had learned her lesson, she reasoned. In the future, she would make sure to keep her anger in check.

She never had been one to spend a lot of time brooding on such things. Besides, even though something terrible _could_ have happened, it _hadn't_. The First Child needed to find new digs, but otherwise nothing bad had happened to anybody at all.

Satisfied that she could now put the incident out of mind, Asuka entered the apartment building and quickly ran up the stairs. Before she even reached her floor, however, her extremely keen ears picked up sounds that didn't belong in the nearly empty apartment building. There were too many people's heartbeats, and the sounds were coming from an apartment she knew was empty.

"Don't tell me," she whispered herself, not quite daring to use her X-ray vision.

Ultimately, she only delayed the inevitable. Upon reaching her destination, she discovered that the door to the apartment right next to Misato's was standing open, and that the Ops Director herself was heading for it, holding what appeared to be an old, rolled up bamboo mat in her arms.

"It's amazing how much crap I managed to accumulate…" the woman muttered to herself as she entered the apartment, not noticing the redhead standing at the top of the stairs.

_It could just be a coincidence,_ Asuka told herself, almost frantically. _It's probably Misato just welcoming some random new neighbor to the building with a gift of her old junk…_

Then she heard her guardian speaking from inside the previously empty apartment. "Here you go, Rei. This was just gathering dust at my place, so you're more than welcome to have it."

"Son of a bitch," Asuka hissed quietly as she headed to the door of the apartment.

Looking inside, she saw Shinji, Rei, and Misato working to arrange things inside the previously empty living space. The apartment was quite Spartan and looked likely to remain so, given how little extra stuff remained to be put into place. And considering that the few pictures on the walls were all of various sports cars, it was a safe bet that they'd belonged to Misato before being donated to the First Child.

Asuka scowled, guilt and displeasure mingling to form an unpleasant mixture of emotions within her. She knew _why_ the designated pilot of Unit Zero was suddenly in need of new lodgings, and why she was decorating the place with mostly secondhand stuff from Misato, of course. That didn't mean she wanted the girl living next door to her, however. She had found Rei Ayanami to be unnerving from the first moment she'd met her; something about the girl's attitude and demeanor just unnerved and disturbed her.

Also, if she was being honest, she had never quite gotten over the way Rei had completely snubbed her offer of friendship.

Shinji looked in her direction, finally noticing her. "Oh, hi, Asuka," he called cheerfully. "Rei is moving in next door to us…as you've probably guessed by now." He added sheepishly.

"We're having a housewarming party tonight," Misato added. "Wanna join us?"

"No. I have plans for tonight," Asuka lied at once. "I just came home to change."  
She had no desire to stay and wallow in the unpleasant turn of events she'd accidentally made happen. Also, she was fully aware of how lame Misato's parties tended to be.

_You'd think a wild party girl type of woman like her would be better at that sort of thing,_ she mused.

"Okay, then," her guardian replied, obviously not the least bit surprised. "See you. Have a good time."

Nodding curtly, Asuka turned and walked off, grumbling softly under her breath about incredibly bad luck. Hopefully, an evening spent helping people as Power Girl would improve her karma.

* * *

"Huh, I was expecting her to stick around," Shinji muttered to no one in particular after Asuka had departed.

_Then you haven't figured out what makes that girl tick yet,_ Misato replied silently.

Aloud, she said, "Well, you know Asuka. She can be a bit of a social butterfly. You shouldn't let her absence get you down."

"I was not intending to," Rei said matter-of-factly.

The purple haired woman smirked, deciding it was good to know that there definitely was a real girl under the often seemingly emotionless face that the First Child presented.

"Well, it looks like you're mostly settled in here, Rei," Misato said, taking a look around the apartment. "I think I'll order some food for our little housewarming party now."

"You don't have to do that, Misato," Shinji spoke up. "I was planning to cook."

"Oh, come on now. I know you don't like takeout much, but you and Rei have been working getting this place cleaned up and furnished all afternoon," the Ops Director replied. "You both could use a break."

"It's really no trouble," the Third Child insisted. "I don't plan on making a five course meal. Besides, Rei said she wanted to learn how to cook."

"I dislike eating meat. However, most vegetarian takeout and ready-made meals are not very pleasant," the blue haired girl explained.

Misato shrugged. "All right, if you're that dead set on it, suit yourselves."

Shinji and Rei quickly got to work on their meal, making use of ingredients that the Third Child had apparently purchased specifically for the occasion. The purple haired woman made a brief trip back to her own apartment to get a beer, then sat down at Rei's kitchen table to wait for dinner to be ready.

As she was sipping at her Yebisu, she couldn't help but watch the two teens and notice just how comfortable Shinji looked. She had never seen the pilot of Unit One look remotely so at ease with himself and the world in general when he was anywhere near NERV headquarters, that was for certain.

It probably wasn't exactly manly, she mused, for him to feel like he was most in his element in the kitchen, but the sight of Shinji looking so relaxed for once made her smile. It also made her feel a little guilty, too; after all, she had done her fair share of persuading Shinji to pilot and to keep piloting, even if she had never been quite as brutal about it as some members of NERV she could name.

"What?" Shinji asked, leaving Rei in charge of minding the food in the wok so he could look in his guardian's direction.

"Hmm?"

"You're staring at me," he clarified.

"Oh," Misato said. "I was just thinking that you and Rei remind me of myself and Kaji, back when we were in college."

She and the long haired man had been a couple of kids playing house, too, and they had loved nearly every minute of it, like Shinji and Rei seemed to be, she mused wistfully.

"Of course," she added, "you and Rei aren't doing the week-long sex marathons. At least, not yet."

Shinji instantly went crimson, and even Rei flushed somewhat, her pale cheeks turning a delicate pink.

_"M-Misato!"_

* * *

The next day was an unusual one for the representative of Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School's Class 2-A. Mostly because it looked like she would have some free time.

Nozomi had a number of club activities that afternoon, which would keep her in school especially late, and Kodama had volunteered to pick her up and take her home, since she would be on the way home herself anyway. Hikari, on the hand, had no club activities that day, and she didn't have to deliver printouts to anybody at their homes or clean the classroom.

Add in the fact that their teacher had assigned them a minimum of homework, which wasn't due until the end of the week, and Hikari was actually looking at a free afternoon, for once. She didn't even have to make dinner, since her father was working late and Kodama said she would take Nozomi to get something to eat on their way home.

Feeling practically giddy, she went straight up to her redheaded best friend only seconds after the final bell rang, releasing them from school for the day.

"Hi, Hikari, what's up?" Asuka asked her absently as she packed up her school bag.

"Nothing much," the pig-tailed girl replied. "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out at the mall this afternoon."

"I wish I could, but Shinji and I are stuck doing sync tests at NERV today," the Second Child replied, sighing theatrically.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Hikari said, wilting slightly. It really seemed as if all the stars had aligned for her, but now her friend wouldn't be joining her.

"Yeah, it sucks," Asuka grumbled. "And Ayanami doesn't have to go, because her kludge of an EVA needs _another_ upgrade." She added, directing an angry look at the blue haired girl, who was talking quietly with Shinji. "Honestly, I know Evangelions are expensive, but sooner or later it's going to be more cost effective to build a new one instead of keeping that piece of junk more or less current."

_Must've touched a nerve somehow,_ the brunette decided, knowing from experience that it usually took at least a _little_ more to get Asuka ranting about how primitive and poorly made her fellow pilots' Evangelions were.

Of course, the topic of which EVA Unit was superior was not one that Hikari herself was exactly invested in, so she quickly tried to veer the conversation in another direction.

"Well, I'm sorry you have to work today," she said. "Maybe we could do something together this Sunday, if we're both free?"

"That would be nice," Asuka said noncommittally. "I really have to go, though. The Vice Commander will probably chew us out if we're even a minute late." She rolled her eyes.

"All right, see you later," Hikari said. She watched as Shinji and Asuka left the classroom for the school's main entrance. No doubt a NERV car would be waiting to take them straight to the Geofront.

With a soft sigh, the class rep herself departed from the school. Her mood was somewhat dampened, but she was determined not to let the rare free afternoon go to waste.

_I'll just go to the mall by myself. It'll be kind of nice to shop without Asuka rushing from store to store like it's a competition and commenting about how lame Japanese fashions are this year,_ she thought with more than a hint of sour grapes as she made her way to the train station.

She had just gotten out of sight of the school when she thought she spied movement from the corner of her eye. The brunette looked around and saw nothing; she had moved to a quiet little side street, and she appeared to be the only soul around at the moment.

Nevertheless, she found her heartbeat accelerating and her palms sweating.

Doing her best to shake it off, she continued forward, at a slightly faster pace this time.

However, the class rep felt like she was being watched. She kept turning around, expecting to find someone one following her, but there was no one around. The street was almost unnaturally quiet.

_Quit freaking out,_ she ordered herself sternly. _You're getting all jittery for no reason._

It was probably just because she was so unused to walking home alone, since she almost always had to pick up Nozomi. After getting so accustomed to having company, even this little bit of solitude seemed eerie to her and was giving her the willies. There was nothing to actually be afraid of, though.

"Meow."

"Oh!" Hikari exclaimed, jumping a foot.

Only to realize that it was nothing more than a stray alley cat that had set her off like that. She chuckled, wiping some sweat from her brow and feeling very silly.

"What nonsense," she said to the cat. "There's nothing out here at all, is there?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," a voice spoke from behind.

This time, Hikari did not shout or jump. However, her whole body tensed before she slowly turned around.

She gasped at what she saw.

A tall, lithe woman stood before her, her entire body covered with tawny fur, and triangular ears sprouting from the top of her head. She had some kind of urn or pot tucked under her arm, and the thing looked utterly ancient.

"Wh-Who are you?" Hikari stammered, feeling very much like a little mouse in the presence of this bizarrely feline woman.

"You can call me Cheetah," she answered. "I've been looking for someone like you for a very long time, Hikari Horaki."

Before the class rep could ask how Cheetah knew her name, or even speak a single word, the feline femme tipped the clay pot she was holding, and black smoke seemed to stream out of it, as though it was alive. It hung in the air between Hikari and Cheetah for a second, and the brunette would've sworn that she saw the shape of a simian face in the swirling vapors.

Then it abruptly flew toward her, slamming into Hikari's abdomen and then disappearing, as though it had plunged into her body somehow. There wasn't so much as single spot of soot on the front of her school uniform, but the class rep staggered backwards, feeling very strange. Unpleasantly strange.

"What did you do to me?" she asked.

Cheetah didn't answer. Instead, the furred woman turned tail (literally; she actually had a long tail, Hikari noted) and ran, bolting away at an incredible pace.

"Hey! Come back here!" the pigtailed girl barked, anger and irritation overcoming her fear.

That woman had done something to her, and she was going to explain what, damn it! Hikari quickly took off in pursuit of Cheetah.

However, she hadn't run ten steps before she realized that something was wrong. Everything around her seemed to rapidly be getting smaller. She was already eye level with the second story windows of the buildings around her, and they only kept shrinking. Even worse, her thoughts were rapidly getting foggy. Soon it was difficult to remember her own name.

_Wha…what was I chasing again?_ She wondered distantly, putting a hand over her eyes to rub at them in hopes that would make everything around her look normal again. Or at least reduce the vertig…the vert…that weird feeling that was making her tummy feel all sick.

Yet when she took her hand away, it had only gotten worse. She could see the tippy tops of most of the buildings around her.

* * *

Normally, Rei would have been halfway to her apartment by this time of day. On that afternoon, however, she was heading for one of the local grocery stores. She had quite enjoyed both the experience of learning how to prepare more diverse meals than she was accustomed to from Shinji and the food itself. With her afternoon as free as the class representative's, it seemed like an optimal time to purchase more ingredients, since she had no more in her apartment.

The route to her new destination was one that many of Tokyo-3 Junior High's students used to get home, and as a result she was walking with a cluster of her fellow teenagers, an unusual experience for her. However, they ignored her, as usual, and she was content to let them.

She was about halfway to the grocery store when the ground trembled.

The group of teenagers slowed to a stop, looking around nervously. Japan was often subjected to seismic activity of varying intensity, something that Second Impact had changed not at all.

"Was that an earthquake?"

"Just a quick tremor. I'm sure it was nothing."

_Thud._

The ground shook a little more forcefully this time.

"Is that…?"

_**Thud.**_

"Oh my god!" one of the group of teens yelled, pointing at something in the distance.

Rei turned to look, and her red eyes widened. Hikari Horaki had somehow grown to enormous proportions; she was already a head taller than the buildings which separated her from the group of kids the First Child was currently with, and as the blue haired girl watched, she just kept getting taller and taller. If her growth continued, she would be the size of an Evangelion in mere minutes.

"Is that the class rep?!"

"Yeah, I think it is! Oh man, she's become totally giganta!"

As they watched, the pigtailed girl tried to rest her hand on a nearby building, only to end up poking herself on the tall spire at the top of the structure. The class rep released a wordless cry of pain, swatting irritably at the needle that had caused her pain.

The metal spire was instantly broken off the building and went flying, heading in the direction of the group of teens. Most of them had the good sense to run, but a dark haired boy named Hiro could only watch as his doom came hurtling toward him.

"Get down!" Rei yelled, tackling him to the sidewalk as the broken spire approached them. The thing narrowly missed the two of them, crashing into a nearby building and utterly shattering one wall of its first floor.

"A-Ayanami, you saved my life," Hiro breathed, amazed.

Rei quickly got off of him. "Go to one of the emergency shelters," she ordered him curtly, noting that the other teenagers had rushed off, hopefully to do the same. "Now."

"R-Right," he stammered, getting up and dusting himself off. "What are you gonna do?"

"I am going to deal with this situation," she answered him, knowing he would assume that she intended to pilot her Evangelion against Hikari.

Hiro gave her a wide eyed stare for a moment, but if he had any objections to her using a war machine intended to stop potentially world ending monsters against their class representative, he didn't voice them. Instead, he nodded and then took off in the direction of the nearest emergency shelter.

Rei started running in the opposite direction, searching for an isolated spot where she could change into Wonder Girl.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** After Cheetah and some of the less pleasant members of the Greek pantheon, Giganta is probably Wonder Woman's most well known foe, so I had wanted to have her show up in some form from the very start.

Comic purists may note that I really didn't use Giganta's usual origin story. That's because Giganta's origin story is really, really bizarre. It's been rewritten a few times over the years, but it tends to involve a gorilla and a brain transplant. No, I'm not kidding. With this being the case, "Magic!" seemed like a much better plot device to use.

Anyway, as always, thanks to my readers and reviewers.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is the creation of Anno and Gainax. I don't own it, make no claims to it, and am making no profit from this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC comics or anything associated with it and am making no profit off this fan fiction. No infringement of copyright is intended. In other words, please don't sue.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen:** Super Sized

Ever since Athena had assumed the guise of one of Tokyo-3 Municipal Junior High School's teachers and whisked Rei off to Themyscria for a crash course in being an Amazon, the First Child had encountered a number of things she could only really describe as bizarre.

Still, confronting the prim and proper representative of Class 2-A, who had inexplicably grown to the size of an Evangelion, might just be the strangest thing she had ever had to do. Indeed, as the blue-haired superwoman flew through the air, garbed in the armor of the Wonder Girl, she was finding it difficult to think of much that could rival her current situation.

Having a tea party with a younger version of herself in the Underworld _was_ a contender for the title, though…

"Horaki!" Wonder Girl shouted as she approached the massive girl.

Unfortunately, Hikari didn't seem to hear her. The pig-tailed giantess was looking around in confusion, as though disoriented. Which the Amazon supposed was probably natural for a person who'd abruptly gone from normal sized to giant sized.

_I must get closer,_ she decided. Aside from her response to accidentally poking herself on a tall building's spire, the class rep hadn't yet done anything violent, so she had to do everything she could to resolve this situation in a peaceful manner.

"Representative Horaki!" Wonder Girl shouted again, hovering near Hikari's ear and cupping her hands by her mouth. "Can you hear me?"

That finally got the pig-tailed girl's attention, but the response wasn't what the Amazon would've hoped for. Hikari grunted in annoyance, then swatted at the air like she was trying to shoo away a bothersome gnat.

"Ahh!" Wonder Girl cried out in pain as a hand several times as large as her entire body slammed into her.

The Amazon went careening through the air, entirely out of control. Wonder Girl crashed through the window of a skyscraper, shattering it and sending broken glass flying everywhere. With a soft groan, Wonder Girl pulled herself up, finding herself looking at a collection of terrified office workers.

"You should get to a shelter," she told them as she pulled herself to her feet. "It's not safe here."

Without another word, she flew back outside, to see that the suddenly super sized class rep was looking increasingly confused and frustrated. She didn't seem to be able to figure out how to get her massive form out of the cluster of skyscrapers and to more open spaces.

"Horaki! I can help you!" the Amazon shouted at the top of her lungs, once again flying toward her. "You must calm down!"

Hikari clearly wasn't in any mood to be placated. The pig-tailed giantess released a growl and then took another swipe at Wonder Girl, but this time the blue-haired superwoman was expecting the strike. She quickly moved out of the way, easily avoiding the blow, though she was shocked by the powerful gust of wind the class rep managed to create.

Immediately, the Amazon prepared herself to dodge a second strike, but it never came. Apparently, it was out of sight, out of mind for the class rep.

_She is most definitely not herself,_ Wonder Girl thought.

As though all the previous evidence had not been enough to draw that conclusion.

No longer focused on the Amazon, the class rep returned her attention to the task of escaping the artificial canyons formed by downtown Tokyo-3's skyscrapers.

Of course, it was entirely possible for her to get out of the city and into the wide open spaces beyond—Tokyo-3 had been built with the Evangelions in mind, after all—but the escape route wasn't immediately obvious. So far as Hikari could see, she was surrounded by buildings on all side, and exploring the area for a way out was apparently beyond her abilities at the moment.

So it wasn't entirely surprising when the giantess decided to make her out way out. Hikari crouched down, grabbing hold of a skyscraper with both hands, and began trying to lift it. Wonder Girl's crimson eyes went wide as she watched the windows breaking at the huge structure trembling.

"No!" she cried, shooting through the air, her fist slamming into the side of the giant girl's freckled face.

Hikari let out a cry of pain as she went staggering, taking several seconds to regain her balance. Then she turned back to glare at the Amazon, a red mark on her face and murder in her eyes.

With a roar, the class rep lashed out, trying to smack Wonder Girl right out of the air, but the superwoman was much too quick for her. She dodged, then flew straight upwards, delivering a fierce uppercut to Hikari's jaw with both fists.

The class rep went reeling, staggering backwards, and the Amazon quickly realized that she was about to fall, likely onto another building. Wonder Girl surged forward, getting behind Hikari, and placed her hands on the girl's back, behind her shoulder blades. With a grunt, she pushed hard, arresting the brunette's fall, and slowly sending her back to her feet.

Hikari pinwheeled her arms around as Wonder Girl pushed her, clearly confused to how she was being magically shoved back to her feet. When she had regained her balance, she turned, then growled at the Amazon. Clearly, she had not made the connection that the superwoman was the one who'd prevented her from falling.

_Did her brain shrink as the rest of her grew?_ Wonder Girl thought with more than a little irritation as she dodged yet another swipe from the giantess.

Only now did the true difficulties of her task start to sink in. She needed to get a panicked, suddenly dunderheaded girl who could pick up skyscrapers out of Tokyo-3 without loss of life or excessive damage to the city. _Then, _she had to find out what had caused Hikari Horaki to grow to such proportions and find a way to reverse the transformation.

It was a rather daunting task, even for someone as powerful as Wonder Girl. Still, an Amazon didn't turn away from a job just because it would be difficult and dangerous.

Avoiding yet another swing from the brunette, Wonder Girl flew forwards, landing a carefully measured yet still powerful punch directly to Hikari's forehead that once more sent the class rep reeling.

Not giving her a chance to recover, Wonder Girl quickly flew behind her and grabbed a hold of one her long pig-tails, finding the individual hairs as thick as steel cables, and hopefully just as strong. With a grunt, the blue haired girl pulled hard on it.

Hikari let out a cry of pain, but she didn't let out a cry of pain and send Wonder Girl flying forward as the Amazon had feared. Instead, she let out a whimper and started staggering in the direction that the relatively tiny superwoman was pulling her, clearly not wanting to risk ripping her own hair out.

"I am sorry to do this to you, Horaki," she said softly as she pulled the giantess along, almost like she was a disobedient child.

Of course, Hikari probably couldn't hear her, and even if she could, she was incapable of understanding her at the moment, but sometimes such things needed to be said.

_This is working surprisingly well,_ Wonder Girl mused as she led Hikari toward the edge of the city in this manner.

She was about halfway there when the city's sirens started to go off, and many of the buildings began to sink into the ground. However, Wonder Girl wasn't dismayed by this development. Quite the opposite, in fact. Having fewer people on the streets and fewer tall buildings would only make the job of getting Hikari away from the urban center and calmed down that much easier.

Wonder Girl was just thinking that she was hope free when one of the city's faux buildings opened up, to reveal the crimson form of Evangelion Unit Two.

The Amazon couldn't help but grimace; she knew that Hikari was Pilot Soryu's best friend, and the redhead never had had a glowing opinion of Wonder Girl.

"Get off of her!" the Second Child's voice boomed from Unit Two's external speakers as the red EVA charged forward.

The crimson war machine's hand sliced through the air, and Wonder Girl quickly moved to dodge. However, she'd grown too used to Hikari's clumsy swings; Asuka corrected her attack when she saw the Amazon move, and Unit Two's gauntleted hand slammed directly into her.

The pain tore a cry from Wonder Girl as she went crashing to the ground, landing with enough force to leave a deep crater in the concrete.

"Hikari, are you all right?!" Asuka demanded as Unit Two grabbed the huge brunette by the shoulders. "What the hell happened to you?!"

The class rep responded with an angry growl, giving Unit Two a hard shove. Caught by surprise, the scarlet titan went tumbling backwards, crashing into a building and reducing it to rubble.

Getting to her feet, Wonder Girl couldn't help but wince at the destruction. Hopefully, NERV had completed the evacuation of the city before they had deployed an Evangelion.

"Hikari, what are you doing?!" Asuka demanded as Unit Two got up and grabbed the giantess. "Calm down!"

Hikari was no more willing to that for her friend than she was for Wonder Girl, and the brunette angrily started thrashing around, doing her best to get out of Unit Two's grip. However, Asuka was ready this time, and her extensive Evangelion training showed. She easily managed to get Hikari into a full nelson hold, but the class rep immediately started to fight wildly to get free, her kicking feet crushing cars and knocking over street lamps like they were no sturdier than twigs.

"Damn it, stupid! Help me hold her still!" Asuka barked as Unit One approached, apparently having been deployed via a different lift. "And don't you dare hurt her!"

Though Wonder Girl didn't appreciate the way the Second Child was speaking to Shinji at all, she knew that it was better if she left the task of subduing the class rep to them. Soryu would no doubt react violently if she tried to rejoin that engagement, and in any case, this would give her a chance to try and figure out what had caused Hikari to grow to such monstrous proportions to begin with.

_Obviously, supernatural forces are at work, but this doesn't seem like the work of the gods,_ she mused, thinking that they tended to be _far_ more manipulative, and therefore usually more subtle, in their actions.

Aside from the gods, there weren't many individuals she knew of who could wield magical powers. That narrowed down the list of suspects considerably, but that still left her the question of where to find them.

Flying over to a short building, Wonder Girl landed on the roof and went down onto one knee, bowing her head and closing her eyes. Queen Hippolyta had always said sight was the sense that people relied upon most, and that it was almost the most easily deceived.

The Amazon drew in slow, deep breaths, casting her other senses about; it hadn't been a very difficult thing to do on Themyscria, but in Tokyo-3 it was far more difficult. Even with the city evacuated, there were still legions of sounds and scents present that were a perfectly ordinary part of the urban area. Car exhaust. The buzzing of electricity traveling down power lines. The distant odor of sewage from beneath the city. The hum of the advantaged machinery in the Geofront plate.

Of course, the battle taking place between the two Evangelions and the giantess nearby wasn't helping anything, either.

Yet just when the champion of the Amazons was about to despair, her keen nose picking up something that didn't belong. It was the smell of a feline, similar to but not _quite_ the same as a common house cat.

Instantly, Wonder Girl's red eyes popped open, and she turned her gaze in the direction that the smell was coming from. It didn't take her long spot to Cheetah.

Especially since Cheetah was leaping straight toward her, claws extended and ready to slash her throat.

Wonder Girl reacted automatically, raising her arms and blocking Cheetah's initial strikes with her bracers. The feline femme wasn't deterred, however; landing gracefully next to the Amazon, she unleashed a flurry of rapid fire blows, clearly intending to slice Wonder Girl to ribbons.

The blue-haired superwoman parried the strikes with flawless accuracy, not even allowing her opponent to mark her a single time. "You are the one who did that to her," she said, meaning the class rep.

"I figured it would draw you out into the open," Cheetah sneered, not letting up in her assault for a moment. "Now be a dear and hand over that lasso."

"No," Wonder Girl said bluntly, launching a kick into Cheetah's stomach,

"Ooph!" the feline woman grunted as the wind was sent from her lungs, and she herself went bouncing across the roof of the building. She barely managed to prevent herself from falling off the side by grasping onto the edge, her claws sinking into the masonry.

"I will not let you endanger people any longer," Wonder Girl said, in a voice that brooked no argument. "Tell me how to return that girl to her normal state. Now."

The "or else" was left unsaid, but the arctic cold of the Amazon's voice obviously implied it.

Unfortunately, Cheetah didn't look terribly intimidated.

"I'll tell you what," she purred sardonically, nimbly pulling herself up onto the edge of the building. "Maybe I'll share that secret with you. If you can catch me!"

With that, she leapt off the side the building. Wonder Girl ran forward, peering down just in time to see Cheetah grabbing hold of a street lamp and swinging, displaying the kind of agility that seemed more typical of a money than a cat. Getting herself atop the lamp, she leaped to the next one, and then the next, moving as easily as a normal person jogging down a city sidewalk.

Of course, Wonder Girl immediately pursued the feline femme, soaring after her. However, in the relatively cramped confines of Tokyo-3, her ability to fly proved itself to be at least as much of hindrance as a help. Every time she started to pick up some real speed and began to gain on Cheetah, the feline femme would abruptly change direction.

_Enough of this,_ the Amazon decided eventually, allowing her booted feet to touch the ground.

Her pursuit of Cheetah improved somewhat after that, but the cat-like woman still retained the lead over the Amazon. Wonder Girl was strong and fast, as well as quite agile herself, but even she couldn't match the sheer acrobatic grace which Cheetah displayed as she led her through part of the city.

Finally, the transformed woman came to a stop, just long enough to open the lid of a wooden crate that was sitting in an alleyway and remove what looked like a clay pot. Tucking the object under her arm, she quickly took off again, but the few seconds it took her to accomplish her task allowed Wonder Girl to close the gap considerably.

"You know," Cheetah commented, not looking back as she moved as quickly as she could, barely slowed down at all by her new cargo, "usually when I get into a game of cat and mouse, I'm the cat. This is a strange twist indeed."

"You talk too much," Wonder Girl said, as she finally managed to grab hold of Cheetah's tail.

The feline femme released a furious yowl as the Amazon's hand clamped down on the appendage with iron strength. Wonder Girl ignored her cry, and with a grunt pulled hard, flinging Cheetah directly into the wall of a nearby building. The transformed woman struck the concrete with enough force to leave a significant dent in it.

"You really don't pull punches, do you?" Cheetah grumped as she unsteadily rose to her feet.

"Not with you," Wonder Girl said, approaching the feline woman with her fists raised.

She had long ago reached the limits of her patience where Cheetah was concerned, after repeatedly seeing the transformed woman imperil the people close to her, all because she wanted her golden lasso. If she had to beat the knowledge of how to restore the class rep to normal out of the feline femme, then she wouldn't hesitate to do just that.

Cheetah tried one more time to lash out at Wonder Girl, but the blue-haired superwoman easily grabbed a hold of her forearm and shoved her back against the wall.

"Tell me how to change her back to normal," Wonder Girl demanded.

"Oh, is that what you want?" Cheetah asked with a smirk.

Wonder Girl's crimson eyes narrowed, the transformed woman's playful nature instantly putting her on guard. "Yes."

"It's not difficult, really," Cheetah said. "In fact, it's not all the different from _controlling_ her."

As if on cue, a building nearby went tumbling backwards, the sound of it crashing to the ground deafening. Against her better judgment, she turned her gaze away from Cheetah, and her eyes widened.

Hikari stood there, her gaze locked onto Wonder Girl.

The Amazon didn't need to wonder how the giantess had managed to escape from the Evangelions long enough to come and aid Cheetah; Hikari was now more than twice the size of a standard EVA.

Then the class reached out toward the relatively diminutive superwoman. Wonder Girl instantly took to the air in an attempt to avoid her, but Hikari plucked the Amazon out of the sky without difficulty, closing her fist around her. As she did, Wonder Girl couldn't help but note that each of the class rep's individual fingers were now larger than she was.

Regardless, she fought back anyway; an Amazon never gave up, after all, regardless of the odds. Gritting her teeth, Wonder Girl applied every ounce of her strength to the task of liberating, and slowly…so slowly…Hikari's fist started to open.

Then the class rep started using both hands, and the Amazon cried out in pain as the pressure on her doubled. Hikari was even stronger than her current, monstrous size would've suggested.

"Yes, that's it!" Cheetah cried, and Wonder Girl noted that the feline femme had somehow managed to scamper onto the giantess's shoulder. "Crush her to paste! That lasso should survive just fine!"

"You would kill for…" Wonder Girl let out a grunt of pain "…that? For my lasso?"

Cheetah laughed. "Don't be silly," she said. "I'd kill for much _less_ than the archeological find of the century."

Before Wonder Girl could reply to that, the class rep tightened her grip further, and the Amazon let out a cry of pain. She could feel her bones grinding together as her body was compressed in ways it simply wasn't supposed to be.

Clearly, there was only one recourse left for her, though she was sorry to have to do it to Hikari, since she'd already battered the class rep quite enough.

Leaning forward, Wonder Girl bit Hikari's hand as hard as she could.

Of course, given their relative sizes, the bite couldn't possibly have hurt her more than an insect bite would hurt a regular person. It would've been easy to ignore.

However, Hikari's mental and emotion state were currently those of a young child, at best. The brunette let out a cry of pain, instantly releasing her grip on the Amazon.

Wonder Girl didn't hesitate to take her chance. She rocketed forward, slamming into Cheetah, who was already unsteady thanks to Hikari abruptly pulling back.

Cheetah's reflexes were as fast as ever, and she immediately clutched onto the Amazon. Wonder Girl tried to get a grip on her, but the transformed woman crawled all over her smaller foe, evading the Amazon's grip.

Undeterred, Wonder Girl kept flying higher and higher, until the air started to grow thin and cold, making her pale skin break out into goose bumps.

The effect the change in the atmosphere had on Cheetah was a bit more pronounced, though.

"What are you…doing?" Cheetah gasped out as her once rapid movements quickly started to slow.

Wonder Girl didn't bother to reply. Instead, she just kept ascending, and it wasn't long before the feline femme's grip on her started to slacken. Only seconds later, Cheetah's grip loosened entirely, and she went plummeting downwards.

Or she would have, if the Amazon had grabbed hold of her before she could go careening toward a doubtlessly lethal fall, allowing herself a small, weary sigh. Part of her would've very much enjoyed letting Cheetah tumble to her doom, but Queen Hippolyta and her other teachers on Themyscria had always spoken of the value of human life. Also, did not think that Shinji would like it if she just let someone die, even if that someone was a person like Cheetah.

So she quickly made her way back to the ground, the feline woman held in one arm and her old clay urn in the other. Landing a safe distance away from Hikari, who was in the process of causing massive property damage to Tokyo-3, Wonder Girl quickly set Cheetah down, leaning the furred woman next to a building.

Realizing how unwise it would be to leave her unattended and unbound, but not wanting to put her in contact with the item she so desperately sought, Wonder Girl quickly grabbed a length of downed power line and broke off a long piece. Once Cheetah was safely tied up, the Amazon flew toward Hikari, carrying the ancient clay pot.

"Horaki!" she called, holding the artifact up. "Horaki, stop!"

The giant girl's only response was an angry swipe at Wonder Girl. The Amazon easily dodged, but the attack destroyed the last bit of her patience. With a scowl, the blue haired superwoman flung the clay vessel into the side of a building, where it instantly shattered into a thousand pieces.

The effect was immediate. Right before Wonder Girl's eyes, Hikari began to shrink, slowly at first, then with increasing speed. In only a moment, she was back to her regular size. The class rep stood in the street, looking around at all the destruction she had caused, then her knees seemed to buckle and she fell onto her rear.

The Amazon was by her side in an instant. "Horaki," she said. "Are you all right?"

"I…think so," Hikari said, dazed. "But what happened? Did an Angel attack?"

"No," Wonder Girl answered. "You should wait here. NERV is likely to pick you up soon."

"What? But why would NERV bother with me?" she wondered. "I'm not a pilot."

"You will…find out soon," Wonder Girl said awkwardly, having less than zero desire to explain the whole, bizarre situation to her. "I should go."

Without giving the class rep time to protest, the Amazon flew off, back to where she had left Cheetah.

She could only grimace when she discovered nothing of her nemesis but bits of severed power line.

* * *

"If only she'd tied me up with that golden rope, it would've been mine at last," Cheetah growled to herself as she ran from the spot where Wonder Girl had left her as quickly as her legs could carry her.

She stumbled just as she finished grumbling to herself, barely managing to regain her balance before she fell flat on her face.

Much as she would've liked to have stayed and ambushed the Amazon, she was simply in no shape for it at that moment. The feline femme was a lot tougher and stronger than a regular human, but even she had her limits. The ordeal Wonder Girl had just put her through would leave her weak and vulnerable for some time; she needed to rest before she could even _think_ about her next move.

There _would_ be a next move, however. Cheetah had no idea yet of what form her next attack on Wonder Girl would take, but she was confident that she would come up with something.

"Something lethal," she growled to herself.

After what the Amazon had done to her, Cheetah would no longer consider herself satisfied merely by taking Wonder Girl's golden lasso. No, she wasn't leaving Japan until she had taken the young superwoman's life.

* * *

"And you're certain that you have no memory of anything that happened while you were a giant?"

"Yes," Hikari said tiredly. "I've told you all of this before."

With the exception of the days and weeks that had followed her mother's untimely death, Hikari couldn't remember any time in her life when she'd been quite this miserable.

Following Wonder Girl's departure, people from NERV had indeed come looking specifically for her, just as the blue-haired superwoman had predicted. However, the group of armed men who had emerged from a black Humvee had not given Hikari the kind of reception she had expected. Instead, they had pointed guns at her, threatening to shoot her if she made any sort of threatening move and ordering her to go with them.

Hikari had meekly submitted to their orders, feeling utterly terrified…at least until she had realized that they were—a squad of heavily armed and armored professional soldiers—were as afraid of _her_ as she was of them.

That had quickly turned her terror into total confusion, at least until they'd gotten into the Humvee and en route to NERV headquarters. When she had asked, the officer in charge of the squad had told her that the new destruction to Tokyo-3 hadn't been caused by an Angel at all.

It had all been _her_ doing.

Once they'd arrived at NERV, Hikari had allowed herself to be ushered to a private room, somewhat similar to the examination rooms at an average doctor's office, but sealed off and far away from the base's hospital. What had followed was a seemingly endless (and endlessly humiliating) medical exam, in which the various doctors and scientists who had mercilessly poked and prodded at her could find nothing out of the ordinary.

She had thought she was done once that part was over. She was very wrong.

More armed guards had escorted her to a dark and tiny interrogation room, complete with an overhead light fixture casting down a pool of light on the subject (her) and only the subject.

Hikari didn't like to think too much about why the higher ups in NERV had decided that they needed such a room.

"Surely, you must realize how this whole situation looks," her nameless interrogator said, walking a slow circle around her. "You abruptly grow to a gigantic size one day, smack around the Evangelions, and destroy half the city. Then when the whole thing's over and you return, you claim ignorance about it? That doesn't seem very believable."

"Oh, for god's sake!" Hikari exclaimed. "If I wanted to destroy the Evangelions and the city, then why would I change back at all? And what motive would I have for wanting to do all that, anyway? One of the Evangelion pilots is my best friend, and my whole family lives in this city!"

"I don't pretend to know your motives, Miss Horaki," the interrogator said coolly, unfazed by her outburst. Apparently, everyone in NERV had decided that she probably wasn't about to become gigantic again, if hadn't for this long. "And I'm assuming that you didn't retain your increased size because you were unable to."

Hikari would've laughed if she wasn't so frustrated. He knew next to nothing about what had led to her giant-sized rampage around the city, but he _thought_ he knew just enough to be certain that she had had malicious intentions. He completely refused to believe that she had no coherent memories from the moment she'd started to chase after that cat-like woman to when she'd woken up in the ruins of a city block.

"Can I go to the ladies' room?" she asked miserably.

She hadn't had a chance to go since before the whole crazy interrogation had started, and though she didn't know how long she'd been in the dark little room exactly, she felt completely certain that it had been several hours already.

"No," the man said flatly. "Now, let's go over today's events again. The true version this time, please."

Hikari hung her head and sighed. The longer this went on, the more tempted she grew to just tell the man what he clearly wanted to hear, simply to end this whole nightmare.

She was seriously starting to consider it when the door to the room burst open, flooding the dim space with light. Hikari winced and held up a hand to shield her eyes.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Asuka Langley Soryu roared.

Hikari didn't think she'd ever been so glad to hear somebody screaming. Or to see her best friend, for that matter.

"Pilot Soryu, this doesn't concern you," the interrogator said sternly, striding over toward the redhead.

"Oh, like hell it doesn't! That's my friend you've got there!" Asuka retorted. "What the hell are you even doing here, exactly?"

"This young lady attacked the Evangelions and the city earlier today, and—"

"I _know_ that," Asuka snapped, every syllable dripping with condescension. "I was there."

"Of course, but you must realize—"

"Look, you've no doubt had the doctors check her out," Asuka interrupted again. "Did they find _anything_ strange about her?"

"No."

"And knowing you people, you've probably searched every electronic record you could access to find evidence that she planned this, or at least knew it was going to happen beforehand," Asuka continued.

"The MAGI were tasked to look into it, yes."

"Did they find anything?" Asuka demanded.

"…no."

"And you've probably had people interviewing her family, teachers, friends, acquaintances…anyone you could find," the Second Child pressed on. "Dig up anything incriminating?"

"No."

"Reeeally? And yet you've been interrogating her for the past seven hours anyway," Asuka said, placing her hands on her hips.

_Seven hours!_ Hikari thought.

That…was significantly less than she would've guessed, actually.

"We have our reasons for the length of the interrogation," Hikari's nameless tormentor said coldly.

"And what reasons would those be?" the Second Child demanded, her eyes narrowing. "Could it be because you want to force a confession out her? Because you don't want to tell the Commander that you're a pack of clueless idiots?"

"That's out of line, Pilot."

"Uh-huh," Asuka said, clearly not impressed by the threat. "Look, since you've obviously got no evidence, Hikari will be leaving with me. Right now."

"Absolutely not!"

The man in the dark suit rounded on Asuka, but the redhead placed a hand on his chest and gave him a hard shove. She must've done it at exactly the right moment—or something—because she sent the much larger man staggering. He barely seemed to regain his balance before he fell, Hikari noted.

"Come on, Hikari," she said.

The class rep didn't need to be told twice. Getting up, she quickly followed her friend toward the door.

"You can't do this!" the interrogator sputtered, livid with fury.

"If you've got a problem, take it up with the Operations Director," Asuka told him, and then she and the class rep were out of there.

Hikari said nothing for several moment as she followed her friend through the halls of NERV. The redhead was clearly furious, and though it was equally apparent that Asuka's anger wasn't directed at her, it was still a bit intimidating.

Finally, though, she spoke up.

"Hey, I'm sorry about—"

"Don't apologize!" Asuka snapped, then visibly mastered her temper before continuing a moment later. "Sorry. But you really shouldn't apologize for something you had no control over."

"Right," Hikari agreed. "Of course."

"Come on, let's get you out of here before something else can happen," Asuka said.

"Fine with me," the class rep agreed, so eager to be away that she didn't even think to ask to make a stop at a restroom first. "And thanks for getting me out of there."

"No problem. What are friends for?" Asuka asked. "I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize that they hadn't just given you a checkup and sent you home."

"_I_ just wish I knew what caused all that," Hikari said. "All I remember is some…cat lady showing up and opening some old clay pot."

"A cat lady, huh?"

"I know it sounds silly…"

"Not compared to some of the crap going on in this city," Asuka replied with a small smirk. "Hmph, well, if I ever run into this cat lady, I'll be sure to let her know why messing with my friends is a bad idea."

* * *

Though one could argue that it was not entirely…fitting for a literal _Amazon_ to do something quite as domestic as cooking, Rei found that she very much enjoyed working in the kitchen. The culinary arts were both relaxing and challenging to her at once, and after years of subsisting on a very bland diet, she took pleasure in trying new foods.

Of course, it also didn't hurt that Shinji was always coming over to her new apartment to show her a new recipe and eat with her.

"Can you take the soup off the heat?" he asked as he opened the rice cooker and started plating up the fluffy grain.

"Yes," she agreed, grabbing a pot holder and going over the stove.

As she went, she made a point of "accidentally" brushing against him.

She had been…skeptical that such light, seemingly inadvertent touches would have any actual effect when Aphrodite had instructed her to perform them recently. However, she now noted the way Shinji's face colored nearly every time she did it.

Turning her own face away so that the Third Child wouldn't see, Rei allowed herself the smallest of smiles at his reaction. It made her feel good to know that she could have such an effect on him, and with so little effort.

"I believe we are ready," she said a few minutes later, as she finished putting the dishes onto the table.

Nodding, Shinji sat down, and the two began to eat. They exchanged a few bits of idle conversation, though nothing about EVA or any of the fantastical things that had been happening in Tokyo-3 lately; Shinji had once told her that it seemed like Evangelion had dominated his life ever since coming to the city, and that he liked to avoid the topic whenever possible in his off duty hours. Since the Greek pantheon had selected her to be their champion, Rei had found herself holding a similar sentiment.

Mostly, though, they ate in comfortable silence. Neither of them was much of a talker, and though Rei suspected that other people would find so much quiet uncomfortable, she liked that she did not feel any pressure to maintain a constant flow of conversation for its own sake when she was with him.

Eventually, they finished eating. The dishes were taken care of in a few minutes, and then it was time for Shinji to return to his own apartment.

"Thank you for having me over," he said, as they lingered by the doorway together.

"I enjoyed learning more about cooking," she told him.

"I know a few more recipes I could teach you," he said eagerly.

"I would like that," Rei said.

They hesitated for a long moment.

"Well, I should go," Shinji finally said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Rei."

"Good-bye."  
Then he was gone.

Staring silently at the closed door, the blue-haired girl allowed herself a small sigh. She felt quite certain that she could've kissed him then, or have gotten him to kiss her. It was not the first such moment she had allowed to pass by, but for some reason she found herself hesitant to seize upon the chance. Somehow she got the sense that he was not quite ready.

_Or maybe I am the one who is not ready,_ she thought, with just the trace of a scowl forming on her usually placid face. She did not like to think that after all the changes she had gone through, there were still barriers which she could not overcome.

Shaking her head, Rei forced her mind away from the subject of Shinji for a moment, focusing on more pressing matters.

It had been very fortunate, she realized, that Unit Zero had been in the middle of an upgrade when Cheetah had used her magic artifact to transform Hikari Horaki. If the prototype Evangelion had been in a functional state, she would doubtlessly have been called into NERV and deployed in the EVA.

Of course, that meant she would've been unable to address the situation as Wonder Girl, which in turn meant that she likely wouldn't have spotted Cheetah until much later, if at all. Piloting a giant and sharing its perspective did mean missing little details.

_I am more effective as a superwoman than as an Evangelion pilot,_ she thought.

She knew that of the three pilots, she was the least skilled and had the most fault-prone Evangelion, even though she had been training the longest. In an ideal world, she could simply explain this to the Commander, and he would find another pilot for Unit Zero.

In the world she lived in, that was not an option.

So it seemed she had a dilemma. She could not control when Unit Zero would or would not be available for use; she simply didn't have that kind of authority at NERV. However, it was unacceptable to simply hope that she could venture out as Wonder Girl when needed, rather than be stuck piloting her EVA. Something terrible could've happened, thanks to Cheetah, if luck had not been with her. An Amazon could not be dependant upon luck.

_What am I to do?_

She was tempted to call out to Athena, to ask the goddess to appear so she could ask her for advice. However, Rei had grown used to Athena's ways by now. The goddess of wisdom would not offer her a simple answer. Instead, she would give hints, challenging Rei to come up with a solution for herself.

Therefore, it seemed…expedient to simply skip asking the goddess to come forth and come up with something on her own.

Of course, that sounded good in theory, but creativity had never really been the First Child's strong suit, so it wasn't long before she was considering pleading for Athena to appear before her anyway.

_What would she say, if she was here? _Rei wondered, her eyes sliding shut.

Knowing Athena…she could easily imagine the goddess of wisdom telling her to think in ways she normally would not. Athena might well tell her she needed to be more proactive as well.

Her crimson eyes abruptly popped open as inspiration struck, and she knew what she had to do, even though the idea (and the risks it entailed) made her vaguely queasy.

She had to sabotage Unit Zero.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Only barely made it on time (well, technically I'm a few hours late, but who's really counting), but here's your regularly scheduled update to the SOE2 series. It's been a busy week for me.

Anyway, not much to say here, so as always, thanks to all my readers and reviewers.


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